The NDIS brought in many changes for community health groups to overcome, but change can only lead to innovation.
The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is causing significant and fundamental changes to the way services are provided for people with a disability. Disrupting the way things had always been done created exciting opportunities for innovation and change. Now, using technology to capture data has become a necessity and opens up a world of information – at our fingertips – to allow us to make confident, data-driven decisions.
The challenge
Prior to the NDIS, service providers operated under so-called “block funding” or grants – they knew exactly how much funding was granted to them to deliver specific services to a limited number of people over a defined period of time, and simply acquitted expenditure back to the government. Now, the NDIS empowers the individual needing assistance to make choices and control who they spend their money with. Participants may use a number of different providers or purchase various services from the same businesses. This means there are huge amounts of data to be tracked in order to manage each case and make the best decisions for clients as well as for businesses.
Using Decision Intelligence to capture data
Decision Intelligence (DI) technologies simplify the data reporting process. The tools of DI provide an end to gathering information from multiple files – all data is collated on a single screen dashboard, simplifying systems across the board. Harnessing this data efficiently allows for swift decision-making based on current real-time information, benefiting both the service provider and the individual client.
Judi Higgin is CEO of Breakthru, NDIS experienced and former Toustone employee and has seen first-hand how technology and data together can simplify processes, help predict future directions, and drive businesses forward. “Having quality information at our fingertips speeds up the decision-making process,” she says. “It gives us a deeper understanding of our customer’s requirements.”
Embracing the future
Judi says that we are in a time of awakening as emerging technology and data changes the way we think about business. The Covid-19 crisis has shown us that we haven’t been fully using available technologies. Being separated under lockdown has forced us to use technology that has been around for years – i.e. Zoom and Skype – in ways we hadn’t previously because we hadn’t been pushed to change our ways. Now, we’ve been pushed into a new age where making full use of available technology and data will be the norm.
DI reporting empowers us to make informed decisions without wasting time gathering data. It allows us to take a look at the way we do things from a greater perspective. It opens the door to improve operations, provide a better experience for customers, and look ahead to the future with confidence.
