Data Quality and In Home Age Care
The exact cost to CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Programme) providers for missing data and data quality issues is not readily available. However, it’s important to note that these costs can be significant.
For instance, a study published in BMC Geriatrics in 2024 identified eight overarching causes of data and documentation quality issues in Australian aged care and disability services. These issues can lead to healthcare errors, flawed business decisions, and increased operating costs.
While this is not directly related to CHSP providers, it does highlight the potential financial impact of data quality issues. The costs for CHSP providers could include the time and resources spent on correcting the data, potential penalties for non-compliance, and the opportunity cost of inaccurate reporting which could affect funding.
Therefore, it’s crucial for CHSP providers to invest in robust data management practices to ensure the quality and completeness of their DEX (Data Exchange) submissions. This will not only help in providing a true representation of their activities and the impact of their services but also in optimising their funding.
Here are two common data quality mistakes often seen in DEX submissions:
Misclassified visit types can significantly impact reporting accuracy, service delivery assessment and have funding implications. Further, it can impact the assessment of client needs. Inaccurate reporting of service delivery might also affect the evaluation of the provider's performance. Each sub-program under CHSP has its own objective, eligibility criteria, and service types. Misclassifications, such as personal services in place of domestic services, can distort the true picture of how well the provider is meeting these objectives and serving the contracted service targets. Inaccurate data due to misclassified visit types might affect future funding allocations and lead to loss of revenue.
How do we identify misclassified visit types? This is normally higher where there are multiple services delivered to a single site.
Underreporting visit lengths can have several implications including inaccurate service delivery reporting, funding implications, client needs assessment, and compliance issues. The length of visits is a crucial factor in assessing the volume and intensity of services provided. Underreporting can lead to an underestimation of the actual service delivery, affecting the accuracy of performance reports. Funding allocations for CHSP providers are often based on the reported service delivery data. If visit lengths are underreported, it might lead to reduced funding as the actual service delivery is underestimated. The length of visits can provide insights into the complexity and intensity of client needs. Underreporting can distort the understanding of client needs, which might affect service planning and delivery. CHSP providers are required to report accurate data through DEX. Consistent underreporting might raise compliance issues and could potentially lead to penalties.
How do we identify underreported visit length? This is often visible where the hours given to the care workers does not closely match the hours billed.
CareAnalytics has developed a powerful analytical tool which gives CHSP insights into data quality before submitting their activity reports in DEX. Avoid costly mistakes and optimise your grant funding.