Company Background

A mid-sized aged care provider in Melbourne that operates both in-home care services and several nursing home facilities came to us for some strategic consulting. Historically, the company managed its staff rostering, patient assignments, and care planning through a combination of manual processes and outdated software systems, which often led to inefficiencies, errors in medication management, payroll discrepancies and scheduling conflicts.

Problem Statement

• Inefficiency in Operations: The aged care provider's existing manual processes and outdated software systems led to inefficiencies, such as scheduling conflicts, staff award (payroll) management errors, and delayed communications between staff and care recipients.
• Lack of Real-Time Data: Without a unified digital platform, the provider lacked real-time access to critical data, hindering effective decision-making and timely updates to care plans.
• Staff Frustration and Turnover: The complexity and time-consuming nature of manual processes contributed to staff frustration, reducing job satisfaction and leading to higher turnover rates.
• Inconsistent Care Delivery: Variability in how care was documented and managed across different facilities resulted in inconsistent care delivery and difficulty in maintaining compliance with healthcare standards.
• Scalability Challenges: The existing systems and processes were not scalable, complicating the expansion into new services or scaling up operations to meet growing demand.
• Security and Compliance Risks: Handling sensitive patient data without robust security measures in place exposed the organization to risks of data breaches and non-compliance with healthcare regulations.

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Digital Transformation Objective

The primary objective of their digital transformation was to enhance the quality of care, streamline operations, and improve the job satisfaction of their care staff. To achieve this, the company decided to implement the digital platform AlayaCare, which offers comprehensive solutions for staff management and rostering, client care, and operational analytics. Below you can see how we got to the future state.

Implementation Process

1. Platform Selection and Customisation: After evaluating several options, AlayaCare was chosen for its scalability, ease of integration with existing systems, and features tailored to aged care services. The platform was customised to meet the specific needs of the provider, such as handling complex scheduling scenarios and integrating with Employment Hero and XERO for payroll and accounting symphony.
2. Platform Build and Integration: After an initial process mapping stage to map fields and tools together, focus diverted to integration between - AlayaCare, Employment Hero and XERO.
3. Staff Training and Onboarding: A crucial step was the comprehensive training program for all staff members, focusing on how to use the new system effectively. Training sessions were designed to be hands-on to ensure that staff could confidently manage their schedules, access client care plans, and document care activities through the platform.
4. Data Migration and System Integration: Data from the old systems was migrated to AlayaCare, involving patient records, staff profiles, and historical care plans. This step required careful planning to ensure data integrity and security. System integration enabled seamless communication between the scheduling module, electronic health records (EHR), and external systems like pharmacies and healthcare providers.
5. Pilot Testing and Rollout: Before full-scale implementation, the system was pilot tested in a controlled environment to identify any issues and gather initial feedback from users. Based on the feedback, necessary adjustments were made to the platform and training materials.
6. Full Rollout and Continuous Improvement: After successful pilot testing, the platform was rolled out across all services. The company established a continuous improvement process, where feedback from staff and clients was regularly collected to refine the system and training programs.

Outcomes

• Improved Care Coordination: The centralised platform enabled better coordination of care activities, with real-time updates to care plans and schedules.
• Enhanced Staff Efficiency: Automated scheduling and easy access to client information saved time for care workers, allowing them to focus more on client interactions.
• Increased Client Satisfaction: With better-managed care schedules and fewer errors in medication management, client satisfaction improved significantly.

Integration of Working Instructions and Approval Processes

Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

As part of the digital transformation, the company developed comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) tailored to different roles within the organization, particularly focusing on payroll, administrative support, and shift managers. These SOPs were designed to standardise operations across the company and ensure compliance with industry regulations and company policies.

Digital Distribution and Access

These SOPs were made accessible through the AlayaCare platform, where employees could easily access them at any time. This ensured that all staff were aware of the latest procedures and guidelines. The digital access to SOPs helped in maintaining consistency in service delivery and administrative tasks.

Role-Specific Workflows

• Payroll Staff: The digital platform was configured to provide payroll staff with access to verified timesheets and service logs before processing payments. They used SOPs to handle discrepancies, overtime calculations, and compliance checks.
• Administrative Support: Admin staff played a critical role in verifying that services were actually delivered as claimed before approving shifts for payroll. They cross-referenced shift reports with client feedback and care worker notes in the system. Their SOPs included detailed steps for verification, documentation, and handling exceptions.
• Shift Managers: Responsible for overseeing the scheduling and execution of care services, shift managers used SOPs to approve shifts before they were finalised. They ensured that each shift was covered adequately and that care workers were assigned shifts according to their qualifications and availability.

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Integration of AlayaCare, Employment Hero, and XERO

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• AlayaCare: This is the central platform for managing patient and staff data, care plans, health records, and scheduling. It interacts directly with all other platforms and users.
• Employment Hero: Handles HR, payroll, and compliance data. It receives scheduling data from AlayaCare to process payroll and sends this data to XERO for financial processing.
• XERO: Manages accounting and financial reporting, receiving data from both AlayaCare and Employment Hero.
• Care Workers: Access care plans and health records through AlayaCare, provide feedback and updates which are integrated back into AlayaCare for continuous improvement.
• External Healthcare Providers: Exchange healthcare services data with AlayaCare to coordinate care and update electronic health records (EHR).
• Management: Uses data from AlayaCare for operational analytics and from Employment Hero and XERO for HR and financial reporting.

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Approval Mechanisms

The digital platform incorporated a multi-tier approval mechanism. After a care worker completed a shift, the details were first reviewed by administrative support to confirm service delivery. Once confirmed, shift managers reviewed and approved the shift for payroll processing. This system minimised errors and ensured transparency.

• Feedback Integration: To facilitate real-time improvements, feedback mechanisms were embedded within the platform, allowing clients and care workers to report issues directly related to shifts or discrepancies in services. This feedback was routed to the appropriate administrative personnel for review and action.
• Security and Compliance Checks: The platform was equipped with security features to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with healthcare regulations. Admin staff were trained to manage data securely and perform regular audits as outlined in their SOPs.

Training and Adaptation

Training programs were updated to include sessions on the new SOPs and approval processes. These sessions helped staff understand their roles in the workflow and how to use the digital tools effectively. The training also covered scenarios to help staff handle typical and atypical situations they might encounter.

• Interactive Learning Modules: Training included interactive modules that simulate real-life scenarios, allowing staff to practice using the new digital tools in a controlled environment before applying them in actual care settings.
• Ongoing Support and Resources: Staff were provided with ongoing support and access to a resource library, including video tutorials and FAQs, to help them navigate any challenges they might encounter while using the new system.
• Feedback Mechanism for Training: A feedback system was established to collect input from staff about the training process, which was used to continually improve training materials and sessions based on actual user experiences.
• Role-Specific Training Focus: Training sessions were customised for different roles within the organization, ensuring that each team member received relevant information and hands-on practice for their specific duties.

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Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

The company committed to continuous improvement. Regular reviews of operational efficiency, compliance adherence, and employee feedback were used to refine processes and update training materials.

Future Enhancements

The company plans to explore additional features such as automation with contact forms, AI-driven predictive analytics for patient care and advanced reporting tools to further enhance operational efficiency and care quality and modern ways of tracking staff performance and service ratings.