Unlocking Digital Maturity: ACIITC Releases Digital Maturity Report
The aged and community care sector in Australia has been facing mounting pressure to enhance service delivery and align with evolving regulatory demands. The monumental recommendations 68 and 109 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety have highlighted the imperative need for digital transformation within the sector.
In response to these challenges and opportunities, Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC) embarked on the “Digital Maturity in Aged and Community Care: The Current State and Resources Required” project. This comprehensive undertaking aimed to assess and evaluate the digital maturity within the sector. It involved the co-design of a digital maturity assessment and practice implementation framework, designed to address the findings of the assessment.
The project’s primary goal was to foster the development of a digital maturity assessment framework, empowering aged care providers to gauge their digital readiness, and implement strategies for improvement. A national survey was conducted to provide a benchmark for the digital operations of the aged and community care sector, including consultations with ACIITC National Roundtables of service providers to co-create this framework.
The survey results uncovered a broad spectrum of digital maturity across organisations, regardless of their size. While certain strengths and improvements were identified in areas such as cybersecurity measures, communication technology, and digital leadership at the board level, it was also identified that the sector faces ongoing challenges in areas like innovation, predictive analytics usage, and client access to digital systems.
Key findings from the report included:
- The industry’s average digital maturity score stands at 58.4 out of 109
- Metropolitan: Leading the pack with a digital maturity indicating a robust embrace of digital technologies
- Rural: Making significant strides in their digital journey
- Non-Residential: On the path to enhanced digital maturity
- Remote: Navigating unique challenges, remote providers achieved a moderate level of digital maturity, but results showed their commitment to digital advancement
- Large Provider (>100 Places): Actively participating in the digital transformation journey
- Industry Average: The industry’s collective digital maturity score, a benchmark for growth and improvement
- Cybersecurity and effective communications were standout areas where the industry demonstrated strength.
As part of this project, ACIITC also developed a digital maturity improvement toolkit through a comprehensive two-stage approach. This toolkit aims to empower organisations to advance their digital maturity, address operational and compliance requirements, and set long-term strategic goals.
The report titled “Digital Maturity in Aged and Community Care: The Current State and Resources Required” has been released today. To access the report, visit www.aciitc.com.au/digital-maturity-in-aged-and-community-care
ACIITC Chair, Dr George Margelis says “ACIITC is committed to driving innovation, digital maturity, and the overall transformation of the aged and community care sector”. Ms Livingstone, Executive Lead further added, “As an active contributor to the research agenda on the role that greater use of technology and innovation will mean for better quality of care and support, we look forward to the ongoing opportunities to collaborate and achieve greater digital enhancements from the results of this current project”.
This report has been developed in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency). The collaboration with the Agency has assisted in producing a document that can be used by the aged care sector to improve their digital maturity.
To find out more about the research results the aged and community care sector is encouraged to register for the Innovation and Technology Across Care (ITAC) 2024 National Conference. ITAC 2024 will run from 26-27 March 2024 at the Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland.
To contact ACIITC for more information or to collaborate on digital maturity opportunities, please visit www.aciitc.com.au.