National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program: How to meet compliance requirements in Aged Care

The aged care sector plays a critical role in society, with approximately one million Australians accessing aged care services every year. However, the sector has faced a number of challenges in recent years – such as the pandemic and the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety – which have put pressure on aged care services to deliver safe and effective care.

To further improve quality standards across the aged care sector, the Australian Government has designed a new program: the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program).

This blog will outline what the QI Program means for your organisation and how you can prepare to meet the mandatory requirements.

What is the QI Program?

The QI Program has been designed by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care. The program collects indicator data from approved aged care residents every quarter. The data allows providers to measure and monitor their performance and support continuous improvement in the quality of the care they provide.

As part of the QI Program, approved aged care providers must conduct two quarterly consumer surveys. 

The two surveys providers must conduct are:

• Consumer experience – assessing the percentage of aged care residents who report ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ consumer service.
• Quality of life – assessing the percentage of consumers who report a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ quality of life.

There are strict protocols for distributing the surveys, collating feedback and reporting on survey data. Each survey must be completed by three parties: residents, family/carers and independent reviewers. Data must be submitted no later than the 21st day of the month after the quarter. This means that the April-June 2023 quarter must be reported no later than 21 July.

To find out more information about the program, visit the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program website here.

Why has the QI Program been introduced?

The aim of the QI Program is to ensure that safe and effective care is being provided across Australian aged care services. This is in response to a number of challenges facing the sector in recent years, one being the launch of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in 2018, which placed providers under the microscope to meet new compliance and regulatory requirements. The Royal Commission found that over one-third (39%) of aged care residents experience some form of neglect, emotional abuse, or physical abuse.

Australia’s ageing population is another factor intensifying the need for reforms in the sector. PwC research found that in the decade to 2017, there was a 17% increase in the number of Australians living in residential aged care (RAC) facilities. Research by the Parliament of Australia predicts that there will be 3.5 million Australians accessing aged care services by 2050.

How to meet the requirements of the QI Program

Meeting the requirements of the QI program could be a daunting task, especially when relying on manual processes to conduct surveys, e.g. interviewing people in person and recording responses on clipboards.

Instead of relying on manual processes, organisations can remain compliant with government regulations by adopting an automated survey tool like Xref Engage (formerly Voice Project). Xref Engage has been granted a sub-licensee arrangement by the Australian government that covers the consumer experience and quality of life assessment tools to help organisations streamline processes.

Organisations can use Xref Engage to administer the two surveys. Each survey consists of six questions, and answers are given anonymously on a scale of 1-5. See the mandatory survey questions below.

Quality of care experience: Aged Care Consumers’ Questionnaire (QCE-ACC). Questions:

1. I am treated with respect and dignity.
2. I am supported to make my own decisions about the care and services I receive.
3. I receive care and support from aged care staff who have the appropriate skills and training.
4. I receive services and support for my daily living that are important for my health and wellbeing.
5. I am supported to maintain my social relationships and connections with the community.
6. I am comfortable lodging complaints with confidence that the appropriate action will be taken.

Quality of Life: Aged Care Consumers’ Questionnaire (QOL-ACC). Questions:

1. I am able to get around as much as I want to (with the use of mobility aids, e.g. wheelchair, walker, stick if you use them).
2. When I experience pain, it is well managed.
3. I am generally happy.
4. I have as much independence as I want.
5. I have good social relationships with family and friends.
6. I have leisure activities/hobbies I enjoy.

The surveys can also be embedded into broader surveys. There is also the option to ask recipients to give an NPS score, add open text comments to questions, and ask for resident details to enable follow-up.

Xref Engages' survey platform also offers reporting functionality, helping organisations to complete the mandatory submission requirements.

The benefits of using Xref Engage (formerly Voice Project) to meet the QI Program requirements

There are many benefits of using a specialised, online survey platform like Xref Engage. These benefits include:

• Easily collect feedback: One single survey link to deliver all three versions of the QCE-ACC and QOL-ACC surveys. All results are accessed in one place.‍
• Reduce the risk of an incomplete result: Xref Engage surveys ensure all mandatory questions are answered so you stay compliant. ‍
• Save time and reduce administration: Surveys are managed from a single platform, meaning there is no need to mail out paper surveys or rely on multiple people to manage the surveys.‍
• Identify patterns and uncover trends: Survey data is reported through the interactive Voice Portal, making it easy to view patterns across the 12 questions.‍
• Improve your facility: Clear insights can help improve your quality of care and get ahead of competitors. ‍
• Secure and compliant: By using Xref Engage, you can rest assured your organisation is remaining compliant with government regulations and that your survey data is secure.

Conclusion

Meeting the requirements of the QI Program is a compulsory requirement for aged care providers and will improve the overall standards of care across the nation, but it doesn’t need to be a headache. In fact, when properly managed, it is an opportunity to improve the quality of services. 

Utilising an approved online survey tool like Xref Engage that automates the survey administering and reporting will make the process seamless. If you want to see the Xref Engage survey in action, book a demo today.