Treating patients in the community meant equipping GPs with good tools, not just ''shovelling'' patients at them and expecting them to cope, Mr Dunne said.
The chronic kidney disease module developed by Dunedin health IT organisation Best Practice Advocacy Centre (Bpac) and Dunedin Hospital's nephrology unit was an example of how it could be done.
The Ministry of Health has contracted Bpac to provide the kidney IT tool to GPs to every region.
It will be introduced progressively.
Demonstrated at Thursday's launch event by Bpac chief executive Prof Murray Tilyard, the IT tool allows GPs to share patient information with specialists in ways that allow fast decisions and early diagnosis.
It should mean less need for patients to see specialists, easier communication between GPs and specialists, slowing down the progression of the disease, and less demand for dialysis.
Prof Tilyard said one of the great challenges for doctors was managing the health of the increasing number of patients with multiple illnesses.
Nephrology department head Prof Rob Walker said detecting chronic kidney disease early would reduce the risk of closely linked cardiovascular disease.
It meant being at the ''top of the cliff'' to alleviate the ''burgeoning epidemic'' of chronic kidney disease.
The estimated prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Southern DHB's catchment is almost 16%.
Mr Dunne also visited the hospital's dialysis unit. He spoke to patients undergoing dialysis, and spoke to clinicians about what was involved in home-based dialysis.
Mr Dunne also launched a second Bpac initiative in Dunedin on Thursday - guidelines for reducing antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections.
