There is an ongoing trial by the Health and Aged Care Department utilizing a fresh platform to simplify the hiring and supervision of staff in the aged care industry.
The Digital Business and Sector Engagement division of the department constructed the trial using ServiceNow to enhance the hiring process and service delivery that was previously described as “highly intricate”.
As per a Royal Commission in 2022, which outlined 148 suggestions for enhancements in Australia’s aged care system, this project, alongside other projects within the Digital Business and Sector Engagement, aims to meet those recommendations.
Speaking at the Federal Forum in Canberra organized by ServiceNow, Janine Bennett, the assistant secretary of the division, mentioned that the previous process was “time-consuming” and comprised of “numerous stakeholders”.
She stated, “Previously, we were unable to efficiently recruit the necessary workforce to meet our obligations, thus necessitating a quicker process.”
“Hence, we introduced a trial service in ServiceNow to address this issue. It automated the workflow for the relevant individuals, significantly reducing the time taken from ‘I require a person’ to their actual onboarding,” she explained.
According to Bennett, the business unit has been “implementing digital solutions to facilitate reforms in aged care” and provide “seamless access to services”.
After successfully completing the ServiceNow trial, the unit is now exploring the development of other solutions utilizing the capabilities of the vendor.
“The trial displayed the potential of ServiceNow to us,” Bennett commented.
“We have transitioned from the trial phase to constructing a couple of other prototype services for different scenarios to demonstrate the concept across the range of services we offer within the organization.”
Artificial Intelligence for an Aging Population
Following the Royal Commission, the federal government has allocated $312.6 million over four years for IT modernization in 2022.
In this year’s budget, it pledged $174.5 million over two years for the “Support at Home Program and Single Assessment System” and $4.1 million for IT preparation for the Australian National Aged Care Classification funding model for providers.
According to Bennett, the Digital Business and Sector Engagement division is presently “progressing with the development of several systems for Aged Care reform”, including artificial intelligence for “small-scale” assignments.
“We are utilizing AI for internal code validation, a task previously assigned to our technical staff. It is now automated with human oversight,” she reported.
“With a society that is aging, the demand for these services is perpetually increasing,” she stated. “The demand is expected to double in the next decade. We require a more efficient system, and AI could potentially contribute to that solution.
“We are currently employing wearable devices for monitoring health declines or risk factors in aged individuals. As more individuals opt for independent aging, such technologies will become a standard part of household configurations.”
About Author
