The Knowledge and Implementation Hub team undertook a desktop environmental scan to find high-quality information and practical resources on adoption, implementation, use and evaluation of technology within aged and primary care settings. These resources are now available in the Resource Collection of the Hub. To read more about our environmental scan process, see the PDF report below.
What we did
During January and February 2023, we conducted structured searches using the Advanced Search version of Google alongside targeted searches of relevant organisational websites. We also consulted the ARIIA Evidence Advisory Group on Technology in Aged Care to suggest resources to add to our Resource Collection.
Resources had to be Australian, freely available and useful for practice. They also had to meet certain quality criteria such as currency (last 5 years), author or organisation credibility and objectivity, and content accuracy and depth of coverage.
What we found
We identified over 90 Australian resources on the role and challenges of implementing and using technology, types of technology being rolled out, guidance on technology for specific settings of care, and factors influencing implementation and adoption of technology by the aged care workforce. Many resources identified focussed on telehealth, virtual reality, software, smart homes and sensors, assistive technologies, apps and smart device technologies. Different types of resources were identified: reports, guidelines, fact sheets, videos, toolkits, webinars and websites. Most of the resources were from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC) and the Australian Digital Health Agency.
Keeping the collection current
The environmental scan process was repeated in May 2024 to find resources produced since February 2023. The project team will continue to repeat the scan process at scheduled intervals to ensure the resource content for rehabilitation, reablement, and restorative care remains up to date.
You can download the full environmental scan summary report below.