Implementing Aged Care funding reform within Clinical Manager which puts people first
Project snapshot
🔍 Project Overview
Challenge
In response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety the government a new funding model, Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) which was to replace the outdated Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI). This affected how every resident in an Aged Care facility would be assessed and funded, however the government did not fully disclose the details, making it challenging for aged care providers to transition smoothly.
Instead of modifying the old system, a completely new approach was required to:
Provide clear access to assessment criteria.
Link supporting evidence to specific indicators.
Ensure flexibility to adapt as government regulations evolved.
My Role
As the Senior Product Designer, I was responsible for:
Researching ACFI vs. AN-ACC to see if there was a quick way to repurpose the funding tool we already had or if we needed a new solution.
Designing an intuitive way for staff to capture and store clinical data as funding evidence for easy access to assessors,
Collaborating with aged care providers, compliance teams, and developers to ensure usability and feasibility.
Currently updating this section
📈 Comparing ACFI & AN-ACC
Key differences between the models
Comparing funding models. showing why ACFI could not be adapted and why a fresh approach was essential.
| Feature | ACFI (Old) | AN-ACC (New) |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Approach | Subjective, based on provider-reported care needs. | Objective, independent assessors rate resident needs. |
| Funding Model | Funding based on historical care levels. | Dynamic, adjusted as resident needs change. |
| Assessment Process | Manual, inconsistent data entry. | Standardised scoring with linked evidence. |
| Challenges in Transition | Old system couldn't support AN-ACC requirements. | New tool needed to connect evidence to criteria. |
The above chart shows why ACFI could not be adapted and why a fresh approach was essential.
🎩 Designing for an unclear Government process
Problem:
Residential administraitors needed to understand how funding decisions were made, but the government had not yet finalised all assessment rules. This created uncertainty about what data should be collected and how to present it.
Solution:
I designed an interface that allowed real-time linking of evidence to AN-ACC indicators by:
Creating an interactive guide for assessors to select relevant criteria.
Enabling cross-referencing of resident data for consistency.
Implementing a dynamic tagging system to attach evidence to specific funding criteria.
🖼️ Visual Needed: - A flowchart illustrating how assessors interact with the system to link evidence to AN-ACC indicators.
🎯 User-Centered Design Process
Step 1: Discovery & Research
Conducted interviews with aged care providers to understand challenges.
Analyzed government documentation for AN-ACC guidelines.
Identified pain points in the old manual assessment process.
Step 2: Wireframing & Prototyping
Created low-fidelity sketches to explore different evidence-linking methods.
Developed interactive prototypes for user testing.
Iterated based on feedback to improve usability.
Step 3: User Testing & Refinement
Ran moderated usability tests with assessors.
Refined the design to improve navigation, data entry, and evidence linking.
🖼️ Visual Needed:
A UX process diagram showing discovery → wireframing → testing → refinement.
📊 Results & Impact
Key Outcomes
🔹 50% improvement in assessment completion time.
🔹 Higher accuracy in linking evidence to funding criteria.
🔹 More transparency in funding decisions for aged care providers.
🖼️ Visual Needed:
A before-and-after UI comparison showcasing improvements in evidence linking.
🔎 Lessons Learned & Next Steps
What I Learned:
Designing for compliance-heavy industries requires extreme clarity.
Modular system design is critical when rules are evolving.
User education is just as important as the interface itself.
Future Enhancements:
Implement AI-driven predictive funding recommendations.
Expand data integration with clinical management software.
🌟 Final Thoughts
This project reinforced my ability to navigate ambiguity, advocate for new solutions, and design for compliance-driven industries. As a Senior Product Designer, I specialize in turning complex regulations into intuitive, user-friendly digital tools.
🛏 Suggested Layout for Portfolio Display
Hero Section → Project title, summary, key impact stats.
Problem Statement → Why ACFI couldn't be updated, clear comparison.
Design Challenge → Uncertainty in AN-ACC rules & evidence linking.
UX Process → Research, prototyping, user testing.
Final Outcomes & Impact → Metrics, UI improvements.
Reflection & Next Steps → Key learnings and potential enhancements.