Enabling Digital Transformation in Aged Care
Australia’s peak bodies for digital health and aged care information technology will collaborate to support the national agenda for fundamental reform of the aged care system.
The move to work more closely together follows the release of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety “Safety, Care, Dignity, and Respect”.
The Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC) and The Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) will consider strategies for the aged care sector to leverage the success of digital health and health informatics across healthcare.
Areas of interest for collaboration are workforce development, digital literacy, fostering a new digital culture, data use, interoperability and standards.
ACIITC Chair Dr George Margelis said it presented an opportunity to identify the roles innovation and technology could play in significantly improving the quality and safety of aged and community care services.
“The Final Report tabling 148 recommendations includes a significant spotlight on the role for digital health and technology to deliver the quality of aged care services that all residents deserve,” Dr Margelis said.
“We don’t need to start over. We have years of knowledge to be garnered from the technology experience in the health sector,” he said. “Working with the Institute will bring decades of digital health knowledge into the aged care field.”
AIDH Chief Executive Officer Dr Louise Schaper said aged care was entering the same journey taken by healthcare for over 20 years.
“It’s time to bring aged care into the digital age by enabling and empowering everyone working in the sector so there is less repetition, less mistakes and reduced duplication of effort. Quality and safety of care is driven by actionable information, and that requires digital health,” she said. “The Institute brings practical experience in building digital health workforce capability which will be vital in the aged care reform agenda.”
For media enquiries please contact Heather Hunt, Communications Director on 0429 453 306 heather@digitalhealth.org.au
