Making positive change to Aged Care through Technology.
The Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council report, CARE-IT 2020[1], was released on the 26th of November 2020. The initiative was sponsored by the Federal Government and supported by the Commonwealth department of Health and the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), with the objective of understanding where the industry was in its digital journey, and some of the key areas where work needs to be done to prepare for a challenging short and medium-term outlook for the sector.
Some key areas identified in the report as both issues and opportunities for providers focused on a single view of the patient, where data silos reduce efficiency and the quality of care, and the adoption of specific technology solutions such as Telecare to make it easier and faster to administer personalised care.
One of the most revealing statements noted the prevalence of systemic data issues.
“There is little likelihood of consumer records being able to integrate with external datasets, with 58.6% of surveyed organisations indicating that there is no such integration and highlighted a siloed management of consumer data that sits within Aged Care sector boundaries.”
So how do providers accelerate their transformation with a focus on digital records?
Technology is not just a back-office solution
To start with, look outside of traditional systems. Payroll and Accounting are generally accepted as areas where tech can be an enabler for Aged Care providers. This is made very clear in the report; however, it leaves any number of other processes untouched by potentially transformative solutions. It is vital that tech is not the story when considering what needs to be done to improve how providers function – rather, it is imperative all the bottlenecks, repetitive and manual tasks currently being performed are considered then evaluated by the potential value to providers of finding a better way to operate.
It isn’t enough for tech vendors to sell what they do as solving single issues – proper analysis of how data travels around a provider’s infrastructure will lay bare the most pressing issues and the biggest opportunities to do things better.
This does require both an understanding of complex issues spread across a provider’s systems, as well as a capability to solve these issues. On the part of the potential solutions provider, this is not just what they can do but also who they partner with a vitally important element of the selection process.
Digital Data Collection and analysis
Within the report there is a strong focus on reviewing the current service standard and then applying ‘a technology and innovation lens against them’. Across all of the eight Aged Care Quality Standards advocated, this is a consistent theme that is focused on the improvement of delivery of care rather than simply improving the administrative processes underpinning any provider’s service delivery.
Once providers start moving to a better, more rounded data management plan, they open up a true value creation area that according to the report less than a fifth of providers are currently exploiting. Ensuring records of all sorts are stored digitally – and centrally wherever possible - mean immediate benefits to process and potentially the bottom line. The opportunity in reducing duplication, moving away from siloed information that slows administrative tasks and lowering the potential for human error. The survey has found encouraging signs of adoption of technology specific to these problems, but there is still a big distance to travel towards truly data-centric delivery of care.
Although much of this may sound more relevant to the running of an Aged Care provider on a business level, taking these steps may dramatically improve care delivered to patients while reducing that administrative burden for both carers and back-office employees.
An example of putting this into practice can be seen in the area of ‘Point Of Care’ record capture for a single patient record. By making it possible to input data wherever the patient is located, then integrating with other existing patient records through API’s, we can get a single source of truth that consolidates information from existing data silos. Care can then more easily be personalised, with dashboards customised to the login requirements of the individual, whether that is a nurse, a doctor or any other employee delivering patient care.
45.4% of Aged Care Providers have not adopted either Telehealth or Telecare
Co-creation is a key theme we talk about in how we solve complex issues for our clients in Aged Care. The report addresses this, specifically in the area of a lack of take-up for Telehealth solutions, with an interesting additional point of note – that it may not just be about the limitations of existing tech, but also the perceived lack of relevance to how it can be used to remove inefficiencies internally. Making the solution a partnership between vendor and provider can help to remove issues around take-up of new technology by the workforce – making all the time, effort and investment worthwhile.
Remove government reporting issues and get ready for the future of Aged Care
Making moves towards this level of integrated record management may mean further reductions in time poorly spent, as well as preparing for a future state where care can be supported by the use of smart home technology.
When it comes to reporting to government, providers make it clear in the report that this can be a source of frustration, with difficulties in using existing platforms that could be mitigated by better automation in sharing this data.
The ultimate destination of smarter use of resource should result in a significant improvement in the level of care providers can offer, with personalisation of this care that caters for significant changes in the future, when a more diverse care environment will include further demand for in-home care – planning for which needs to be properly planned for now.
The report makes it clear that with the right plan, the right support and the internal will to make the changes required happen, providers across Australia can make great strides in the coming years to improve the quality of care at the same time as reducing the complexity currently holding many leading providers back.
FUJIFILM Business Innovation Australia is a leading provider of technology and solutions in the Healthcare sector, working with a wide range of providers to deliver transformative data solutions with our partners. To learn more about our solutions and services, visit www.fujifilm.com/fbau or call us on 13 14 12.