Municipal Association of Victoria

1. Municipal Association of Victoria DH SCTT VENDOR INFORMATION SESSION 15 FEBRUARY, 2013. Derryn Wilson HACC Program Advisor

2. Inter –operability and local government - client expectations • In summary, key issue for council HACC providers is not being able to auto- populate the data from SCTT electronic referrals into their own systems. • With a high volume of referrals now coming via SCTT, there are significant inefficiencies in having to manually transcribe the data. • Given that the HL7 messaging standards have been available for some time, and if everyone using SCTT referral tools adopted them, inter- operability would be largely overcome. Why hasn’t it happened?

3. Local government context • Collectively, local government is a large provider of HACC services, receiving about 37% of the Victorian HACC funding. This covers both a range of service types, and one of the most utilised services – domestic assistance. • This makes councils high net receivers of SCTT referrals, and thus dependent on the compatibility with the systems of diverse others. • Councils have competing demands - HACC is only one set of services amongst many for councils • improving internal inter-operability between and across council IT systems has been important • cost benefit of improving HACC systems has to compete for resources and priority with other areas • smaller shires may only have one IT support person to assist HACC staff with proposals etc. – rely a lot on user groups and what other councils do

4. Local Government Context • Recent HACC Program improvements in assessment practice and introduction of the Active Service approach have challenged the adequacy of some of the existing systems which were designed to deliver services e.g. rostering, payroll, accounts. Need a client centred front end to focus on the client journey through multiple episodes, using internal and external services and ways of sharing information, and monitoring care plan outcomes. • Timing – the “waiting for Godot effect”. The health and aged care reform environment over the past few years makes the timing of decisions to invest in IT system change more difficult.

5. SCTT referrals • To date, there has been an increase in referrals using the SCTT tools and electronic transfers • Data can be downloaded into the SCTT referral format for sending • Both are significant improvements, but being able to auto populate the referral data received remains allusive in most areas. • LG can control what capacity its own systems have, but not what others do, and to achieve inter –operability, a collective approach is required.

6. Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) • As the peak body for local government, have not had a high degree of involvement with councils about their HACC software. Councils act as individuals, or sometimes together in user groups, although in other areas eg maternal and child health, emergency management and libraries, councils have acted collectively as a sector, and with MAV, and State government, for joint development and procurement. • Recently councils have identified improved efficiencies as necessary for sustaining their involvement and investment in HACC services, and MAV will work with councils on options for improving the inter –operability issue and its potential for improving cost structures. • MAV is keen to work with other peak bodies, State Government and vendors , recognising that there has to be a collective approach to a solution.