Introduction

Table of contents

About this guide

This guide has been developed by Opticon for the Department of Health and Ageing and is aimed at giving aged care providers information to help them make the most of computer technology – what is available, how to get computers to work as an effective business tool, demystifying modern terminology and how to go about practical issues like purchasing IT equipment, staff training and support. This guide is aimed at those who, like most aged care providers:

have one or more personal computers (PCs) available for staff use;
use computers to undertake administrative work; and
have staff with widely varying degrees of IT knowledge and expertise.

This guide will help providers take the next steps towards using IT more effectively and increasing the value gained from computers.

Using this guide

This guide takes you through the IT maze, helping you to work out:

what are the overall IT needs of your organisation;
how to choose a particular system;
how to buy an IT system and get it up and running;
how to keep your IT system secure; and
how your organisation can make best use of the internet.

This guide is simply a starting point. Use it to begin asking questions.

The more you ask, the more you’ll learn and the more you learn the better equipped you’ll be to begin making the right IT choices for your organisation.
Your organisation is unique, with its own complex set of issues and priorities. Your IT solutions should be unique too, specifically tailored to meet your organisational challenges.

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