Tech council joins research-industry collaboration

The Aged Care Industry Technology Council is partnering with the national digital health research centre and industry stakeholders to create more sustainable and higher quality aged care.

The Aged Care Industry Technology Council is partnering with the national digital health research centre and industry stakeholders to create more sustainable and higher quality aged care.

ACIITC independent chair Dr George Margelis announced the collaboration at the ITAC conference in Brisbane on Tuesday.

It involves the ACIITC joining the Digital Health Co-operative Research Centre and provider peak bodies the Aged Care Guild and Aged & Community Services Australia to tackle aged care’s most critical issues through digital technologies and innovation. 

Dr George Margelis
Image: Event Photography

Dr Margelis said the partnership recognised the need to improve the uptake and incorporation of innovation, technology and digital advancement.

“We are very excited by this new partnership because it gives opportunity to provide Australian content around the evidence base for the value of technology for aged care,” Dr Margelis told the conference. 

“This partnership represents a significant commitment to advance digital health in the aged and community care industry in Australia.”

Digital Health CRC CEO Dr Victor Pantano said the CRC undertakes industry-driven collaborative projects that aim to ultimately benefit consumers.

“Our objective is to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities through the digital transformation of our health system,” Dr Pantano told delegates.

The Digital Health CRC, which launched in 2018, is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and industry with $118 million over seven years.

The CRC undertakes technology development or demonstration projects, rather than basic research, Dr Pantano said.

“We are into industry driven research. We only do things where industry tells us there is a challenge or problem that needs to be solved.

Dr Victor Pantano
Image: Event Photography

“Industry is investing in the CRC so we only invest money where industry tells us to invest that money,” Dr Pantano said. 

One of the goals is to see the new solutions deployed, he said. 

“We don’t want to do something that is an academic exercise. I want to see it being deployed and being used,” Dr Pantano said. 

“While we might work on development demonstration type projects, we want to equip people who are already in the industry to go out and commercialise and put a lot of that into play.”

Aged care is one of the collaborative’s specific focus areas. 

Dr Pantano said the Digital Health CRC’s aged care objectives are to:

  • deliver real-time actionable data for providers
  • identify the technologies that support independence for older people
  • identify clinical and technical data standards that support sharing of information across the continuum 
  • digitise quality and safety audits in residential aged care 
  • support the development of a technology literate and enabled aged care workforce.

Projects underway include one with Telstra Health and RMIT to predict clinical deterioration of aged care residents (read more here). 

Dr Pantano asked delegates to work with ACSA, the Age Care Guild and the ACIITC to start looking at CRC projects that might make a deep impact in the sector.

“We are interested in projects where a number of you can come together and we can make  system changes.”

Dr Margelis joined the call to action. 

“We want you guys to help us decide on which projects to go forward with.”

Contact the ACIITC on secretariat@aciitc.com.au or visit its website here.

Visit the Digital Health Co-operative Research Centre website here and contact Dr Pantano on victor.pantano@dhcrc.com.

Read more from the ITAC 2020 conference

Addressing community care’s technology pain points

Silos blamed for inefficient aged care ICT

Aged care’s best in tech honoured

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Tags: Digital Health CRC, flinders-digital-health-research-centre, george-margelis, itac 2020, news-2, rmit, slider, Telstra-Health, victor-pantano,

2 thoughts on “Tech council joins research-industry collaboration

  1. Hello Natasha,

    Great article and we can see the benefits for embracing technology to improve safe, efficient quality care for ageing Australians. How do we go about contacting the ACIITC and CRC to provide input around projects going forward. We have an idea we would like to pitch.

    Kind regards
    Emma Small and Aideen Gallagher (OT’s and Directors)

  2. Thanks Emma and Aideen. I have added some contact details to the bottom of the story.

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