New research reveals we’ve a long way to go when it comes to IT in aged care.

Remote aged care facilities are utilising the virtual world to help reduce the social isolation of their residents. Using common video conferencing technology such as Skype, facilities in regional NSW and central and south-west Queensland are overcoming the tyranny of distance and helping residents stay connected with family and friends.

Technology not only enhances communication between residents and the broader community but helps to reconnect them with a familiar past. Programs such as Google Earth, for example, are being used by multicultural residents to locate their birthplace.

Improving the quality of resident social interaction is one outcome of a four-site pilot program intended to expand the use of IT in aged care.

Church Resources, in partnership with 10 industry and not-for-profit organisations, has developed the ConnectCare program designed to make IT infrastructure and software available to small and medium-sized providers across Australia.

The initial results of the project have been presented in the recently released white paper, ‘Golden opportunity: How information technology can rejuvenate Australia’s aged care sector,’ co-authored by Church Resources and project partner, KPMG.

In the document, Church Resources argues that access to high speed broadband and technology can not only improve the quality of life of residents but help manage the sector’s limited resources through time and staff efficiencies.

“We believe making relevant technology more accessible, affordable and easy to use can be a catalyst to reinvigorating this critical sector to help meet the aged care needs of today’s and tomorrow’s senior Australians,” it says.

The present context also provides a unique opportunity to leverage the government’s existing e-Health and e-Business agenda to boost the sector’s resources, the white paper argues.

In particular, by making IT more accessible and affordable, the government’s national broadband network can facilitate the roll out of technology to the resource-poor areas of rural and remote Australia.

Current usage of IT

Some aged care facilities have already made positive progress in implementing IT but for the majority of providers this step has proven extremely difficult. IT expertise within the sector is minimal and technology use is often not extended to residents.

The white paper cites an IT survey conducted by the Department of Health and Ageing that found facilities with 300-plus beds were typically using a small number of unconnected computers and running a mix of disparate operating systems and software. These facilities also rarely employ an IT manager which diverts the responsibility of technology issues to an already overburdened nursing staff.

“Often management and nursing staff are required to spend valuable time managing IT systems, despite their lack of expertise or time to adequately evaluate or implement systems and services.” says Malcolm Alder, digital business partner with KPMG.

Less resourced facilities with fewer than 300 beds face a bleaker situation with many using outdated equipment with little or no IT support staff.

A lack of sector-specific knowledge from technology suppliers and inadequate supplier training are cited as the sector’s most significant grievances. An ageing workforce, the dominance of part-time and volunteer workers and a lack of confidence in using technology all complicate the broad implementation of IT.

Cost is also regarded as a major barrier to uptake, even amongst early adopters of technology.

According to a national implementation survey conducted by specialist technology consultant KM Group, this reveals a lack of understanding of the value of technology as a business enabler.

Many providers have adopted a cautious approach towards technology, where implementation is driven by external pressure to change rather than by its own strategic goals. This view regards IT “as a cost centre rather than value generator”, says the report.

Signs of IT maturity, however, are emerging. Qualitative data collected from the KM Group’s survey of 87 aged care facilities indicated an intention by some to integrate operational expansion and increased productivity with the use and need for IT.

The sector is successfully using eBusiness initiatives with 81 per cent of aged care services currently engaged in electronic transmissions with Medicare Australia, says a spokesman from the Department of Health and Ageing.

Change management

The take up of technology profoundly alters staff responsibilities and work practices and therefore must be implemented in a slow and staged fashion, says Alder.

Staff readiness is more important than software selection and the implementation of IT must be embedded in a broader vision and mindset change.

“The best advice is not to try anything too big bang. The single biggest mistake a provider can make is to get the staff offside. The results could be more timely, costly and even counterproductive,” says Alder.

In the best examples of success, momentum for advancement comes from strong leadership and local champions who diffuse a lack of confidence with effective communication, staff support and comprehensive training.

Indicative of the degree of resistance within the sector, a nurse at one of the pilot sites tendered her resignation in the initial phase of implementation and refused to take part in the training program.

Successful implementation is not only about changing workplace practice, it is about changing values and attitudes, says Con Koulouris, IT director, Church Resources.

Having the right technology alone is not sufficient. The transformation has to be supported by an integrated change plan revising job descriptions, building design and performance assessment.

The level of comfort and resident satisfaction towards the new technology-driven workplace is also heavily influenced by staff attitude.

To drive the implementation of affordable and appropriate broadband and technology, greater collaboration between independent aged care facilities is also needed, Church Resources says.

“By working collectively, facilities can have a stronger position with service providers as well as software, hardware, content and integration specialists to deliver clever solutions and applications at a much lower per cost.”

Outsourcing IT to an expert third party will also reduce the management and infrastructure burden of managing their own technology.

Although the initial ConnectCare pilot sites have targeted facilities with fewer than 200 beds, Alder says the results can apply to the experience of larger, commercial providers as the cost dynamics are more acute in smaller facilities.

As staff and resident computer literacy improves, the confidence and experience level of residents will also drive transformation within the sector, says the whitepaper.

Feedback from the industry

Lessons learned from providers who have implemented an IT project within the previous 18 months.

• Just because they need it does not mean they will welcome it.

• We did not have a good implementation plan and wasted time and money trying to do it as part of our daily work.

• It’s important to have a dedicated project manager to drive the project. Enormous amount of unfunded resources are needed to implement a project and organisations need to “dip” into any profits.

• It is all about change management, keeping key personnel informed, motivating and encouraging staff, giving recognition to those who are trying and keeping focused on the end result and staying within the planned timeframe as much as possible.

• Taking your staff with you is the most critical aspect. Slow and methodical implementation will ensure staff knowledge of the program and ensure accurate data is entered. It needs to become second nature to all.

• The biggest problem is staff training to optimise the full benefits of the software.

• Vendor is key; after-sales support is what makes or breaks the implementation. Users will only settle into an application over time – and this needs vendor involvement to maintain the gains.

• Don’t believe all the promises of the vendor.

• Don’t be too ambitious – allow plenty of time to make big changes.

Source: National survey on IT implementation, KM group 2010.

Fast facts

• Nearly 60 per cent of IT projects implemented in aged facilities within the last 18 months were used to support clinical care assessment and planning.

• 20 per cent supported medication and vital signs management.

Source: National survey on IT implementation, KM group 2010.