About the program
The QI Program includes 11 quality indicators across critical areas of care that can affect the health and wellbeing of aged care residents.
Residential aged care providers must report on these 11 quality indicators for each resident every 3 months.
QI Program indicators:
- Pressure injuries – percentage of care recipients with pressure injuries, reported against 6 pressure injury stages
- Physical restraint – percentage of care recipients who were physically restrained
- Unplanned weight loss – percentage of care recipients who experienced
- significant unplanned weight loss (5% or more)
- consecutive unplanned weight loss
- Falls and major injury – percentage of care recipients who experienced
- one or more falls
- one or more falls resulting in major injury
- Medication management – percentage of care recipients who
- were prescribed 9 or more medications
- received antipsychotic medications.
- Activities of daily living – percentage of care recipients who experienced a decline in activities of daily living
- Incontinence cre – percentage of care recipients who experienced incontinence associated dermatitis
- Hospitalisation – percentage of care recipients who had one or more emergency department presentations
- Workforce – percentage of staff turnover
- Consumer experience – percentage of care recipients who report 'good' or 'excellent' experience of the service
- Quality of life – percentage of care recipients who report 'good' or 'excellent' quality of life.
Learn how to submit your QI Program data.
Why it is important
Quality indicators measure important aspects of quality of care that can affect a resident’s health and wellbeing.
Reporting on the quality of care helps:
- approved providers – to measure, monitor, compare and improve the quality of their services
- older people – to find information about the quality of aged care services when making choices about their care
- government – to monitor the quality of aged care provided to residents, and make policy decisions based on sound evidence.
The QI Program addresses recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Status
We are expanding the QI Program to introduce:
- 3 new staffing quality indicators
- quality indicators for in-home aged care.
Consultation
We consulted extensively with the sector and aged care experts to develop the quality indicators, including through:
- an evidence-based literature review
- national stakeholder consultations, both virtual and written
- expert consultations
- testing with providers and stakeholders
- trials in residential aged care services.
We are consulting further on how to improve and expand the QI program. Find out how to have your say.
Reporting
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) publishes QI data at national, state and territory levels, and by geographical remoteness for each quarter of reporting.
Legislation
The QI Program is governed by:
- the Aged Care Act 1997
- the Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Quality Indicator Program) Principles 2021
- Accountability Principles 2014
- Records Principles 2014.
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