About the strategy
We have a strong focus on better using data and digital systems to improve aged care.
The strategy guides us and the aged care sector on how we will digitise, modernise, automate and better connect a person-centred aged care system.
Underpinning the strategy are:
Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy 2024–2029
The strategy aligns with and supports key national digital strategies, including the:
- Data and Digital Government Strategy
- Draft National Strategy for the Care and Support Economy
- Digital Health Blueprint and Action Plan 2023–2033
- National Digital Health Strategy 2023–2028
- Data Strategy 2022–2025
- National Preventative Health Strategy 2021–2030
- Australia’s Primary Health Care Plan 2022–2032
- National Healthcare Interoperability Plan 2023–2028
Why it is important
This work will better connect older people, aged care providers, workers, software vendors and government through digital systems that:
- help older people, their families and carers to
- navigate the system
- make informed decisions
- get the coordinated care they need
- support aged care providers and workers to
- spend less time on administration, including through easier ways to meet their legislative and reporting requirements
- coordinate care
- increase the time they spend on quality care
- enable technology developers and vendors to
- build software for providers that easily interacts with government systems
- have the confidence to invest in innovation
- enable easier data collection and analysis to support government with
- monitoring aged care services and their compliance with legislative requirements
- reducing administrative tasks
- directing funding and policy efforts effectively.
This work supports our broader aged care reforms, which respond to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Vision
Data and digital solutions are critical to improving care and wellbeing.
We aim to deliver the highest-quality person-centred care for older people while driving a sustainable and productive care and support economy through data and digital innovation.
Guiding principles
Six guiding principles underpin the strategy.
- Person-centred – ensuring that initiatives and actions benefit older people
- Trusted – ensuring that people’s sensitive information and privacy are safe
- Tell us once – ensuring safe access to people’s history and care needs for better coordinated care
- Diverse – ensuring that people get care that meets their individual needs
- Integrated – ensuring integrated systems and secure information-sharing
- Care-focused – ensuring tools and processes enable workers to focus on providing high-quality care.
These principles reflect the Statement of Principle and Statement of Rights under the new Aged Care Act.
Outcomes
The strategy focuses on 4 outcomes – each with 2 priorities.
- Outcome 1 – Older people and their support networks can navigate and actively participate in their care and wellbeing.
- Outcome 2 – Aged care workers, service providers and health professionals are digitally empowered to provide higher-quality and better-connected care.
- Outcome 3 – Data is shared and reused securely to deliver a sustainable and continually improving aged care system.
- Outcome 4 – Modern data and digital foundations underpin a collaborative, standards-based care system.
Priorities
The strategy focuses on 8 priorities under each outcome:
- Promote healthy ageing, independence and choice.
- Create simplified, user-friendly experiences.
- Maximise time for direct care.
- Strengthen care connections.
- Improve security and access control.
- Optimise data collection and utilisation.
- Build and embed data and digital maturity.
- Encourage innovation and provide stewardship.
These priorities outline the initiatives and actions we are taking to achieve our vision.
We will use the strategy’s outcomes and priorities to direct efforts and regularly evaluate and report on the strategy’s success.
Actions
The action plan outlines the steps we are taking to deliver the strategy.
In the first year of the plan, we will deliver 23 actions and initiatives.
We are setting the second year’s actions.
We will regularly review and update the action plan.
Action plan – Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy 2024–2029
Example journeys
Older people never take their aged care journey alone – it intersects with those working in the sector.
To showcase the experience of older people through aged care we have created a fictional example following Jenny’s aged care journey. It highlights the impact of the strategy on:
- older people
- aged care workers
- aged care providers
- informal carers
- health professionals
- aged care assessors
- technology developers and vendors
- researchers.
Read Jenny’s journey in the strategy.
Who we work with
The aged care system is a complex mix of individuals, organisations, priorities, responsibilities and capabilities. To deliver the strategy, we work closely with:
- older people and their support networks
- aged care providers
- aged care workers
- technology developers and vendors
- research organisations
- peak bodies
- government organisations.
Consultation
We consulted on the draft strategy between October 2022 and November 2023.
We heard from more than 600 organisations and people, through:
- focus groups
- interviews
- forums
- webinars
- online surveys.
We also talked to:
- the Primary Health Networks
- state and territory governments
- the Australian Digital Health Agency
- the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Services Australia
- the National Disability Insurance Agency
- the Department of Social Services.
Read our consultation summary.
Reporting progress
We will regularly review and update the strategy and action plan. Every year, we will publish a report on the progress towards each outcome. The report will provide updates on:
- actions we have completed
- actions planned for the next year.
Get involved
You can get involved by:
- watching our Tech Talk webinars, open to anyone
- joining our Sector Partners group who we co-create, co-design and co-develop solutions with
- inviting us to appear at in-person events to share our aged care data and digital work.