The Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Digital Health Agency have issued a set of standards that require minimum software requirements for clinical information systems and electronic medication management systems used in aged care facilities.
The Aged Care Clinical Information System (ACCIS) Standard sets the foundation for information sharing and interoperability in home care for seniors.
According to Ryan Mavin, ADHA Connected Care branch manager, these standards provide “clear and consistent guidance for software developers and aged care providers on how to design and implement [CIS] meet the needs and expectations of residents, their families and care teams, while ensuring they can seamlessly connect to the entire national digital health infrastructure.”
It is based on the following principles:
-
Reliable, consistent, computable, and modern data.
-
Data can be shared seamlessly across systems, care facilities and organizations.
-
Data is accessible and transparent, helping consumers make better decisions and choices.
-
Data drives efficient and safe clinical decision making, while positively impacting the end-user experience.
-
Data is collected only once, retains its original meaning, and can be safely used multiple times if needed.
WHY IT MATTERS
Sam Peascod, assistant secretary for service design and digital at the Department of Health and Aged Care, said the ACCIS Standards played a key role in supporting aged care reform.
One of the recommendations of the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is to make the use of interoperable My Health Records mandatory. digital care management system.
These standards are expected to drive the adoption of telehealth, remote monitoring and data analytics in the aged care sector, according to Dr. George Margelis, chief technology advisor to the Association for Aged and Community Care.
Furthermore, ADHA’s Mavin said the ACCIS Standard would help improve continuity and coordination of care for older people in Australia, particularly during care transitions.
THE BIGGER TREND
Recently, ADHA issued a call to healthcare-related CIS and mobile CIS software providers to create more products that can connect to My Health Record and e-prescribing services.
This offer comes after ADHA recently introduced an upgrade to Provider Connect Australia (a portal for healthcare providers to update their business information) allowing CIS to connect via SMART on FHIR.
As part of the National Infrastructure Modernization program, ADHA is currently building a FHIR based on The Health Information Gateway, which will be a scalable platform for exchanging and accessing health information, including vaccination records and aged care data, has been awarded a contract to build it to Deloitte in 2021.
