Revolutionising aged care compliance: QPS Benchmarking’s new Converge CQI offers real-time quality improvement

In an aged care sector under the microscope of ongoing reform and regulatory scrutiny, staying ahead of compliance demands is more critical than ever. 

Recognising this, QPS Benchmarking has launched a ground-breaking Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) system — Converge CQI — designed to shift the quality management paradigm from reactive to proactive. It is setting a new benchmark for compliance, performance and innovation in aged care.

A CQI system built for today’s challenges

Data has never been more important in aged care. Government-funded providers have the annual Aged Care Financial Report and operational reporting via the Government Provider Management System to worry about, plus a whole range of quality and safety reporting linked to the Aged Care Quality Standards, Quality Indicator Program, the Serious Incident Response Scheme and more. 

Altogether, the data collection and reporting requirements ensure transparency, accountability and quality of care. Unfortunately, there is often one shortfall: timeliness. Providers can collect all the data they want, but if it is being analysed weeks or months later, it could mean opportunities for proactive interventions are missed entirely.

Traditional CQI methods follow this pattern: they involve collecting data, generating reports, and manually identifying issues — often months after the events occur. 

In contrast, QPS Benchmarking’s Converge CQI enables live audits and real-time issue detection. 

“We’re pre-determining what an issue looks like through National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) data. It might be a survey score that’s below a certain number, unplanned weight loss or something that would be picked up as non-compliance in an audit, we flag it as an issue in real-time,” explained Adam Holcroft, QPS Benchmarking General Manager.

“We don’t need to wait for reports and summary data, we can literally pull issues out as they’re happening.”

This is an approach set to revolutionise aged care compliance. QPS Benchmarking has long been trusted for its benchmarking and performance reports, with the increasing demand for real-time, integrated quality solutions prompting Mr Holcroft and his team to think bigger.

“We have always been in the continuous quality improvement space, but we could see through requests from clients and consultants that we needed to create a place where they could manage all the issues linked to continuous quality improvement,” he added.

“My team’s managed to innovate and almost reverse-engineer the entire CQI process. This system is not traditionally what it used to be. Consider how Uber disrupted taxis or Airbnb disrupted hotels, we’ve done that for CQI through Converge CQI.”

From identification to resolution

With such detailed data at their fingertips, aged care providers have the unmatched ability to bring their issues to the forefront and resolve them before they escalate. This can occur as staff complete audits and resident data is being recorded. 

Managers receive a live, desktop view of all flagged issues, linked directly to the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. 

“It’s quite amazing to see a manager working through their everyday tasks and through the Converge CQI dashboard they can easily find examples of non-compliance. The issues appear automatically, they are labelled correctly, and everything is linked to the relevant Strengthened Quality Standards,” Mr Holcroft explained. 

Even more powerful is the one-touch standards compliance report. With the click of a button, providers can generate comprehensive reports showing every issue, action and outcome, aligned to the new Strengthened Quality Standards, ideal for self-assessments or accreditation readiness.

This ensures that any loose ends that are typically left behind on paper-based systems, or even Excel systems, are all tied up. Managers, executives and board members can all benefit from the way QPS Benchmarking’s system finds and manages issues. 

“The system ensures that no steps are missed. Whether you’re a manager, executive or board member, Converge CQI has a one-touch, all of the issues, actions, and outcomes managed through the system come out in an instant,” Mr Holcroft said.

“You can do a self-assessment, you can create a report for your registration, it’s so easy. This doesn’t exist anywhere. The possibilities are unlimited.”

More than compliance

Designed as a white-label solution, Converge CQI is adaptable across different sectors and standards. For example, this means aged care providers operating day hospitals can have the same functionality, tailored to their needs.

The system enables quality improvement at every level, from the individual resident to the facility as a whole.

Additionally, providers do not have to be restricted by the quality system/s they operate on. QPS Benchmarking has designed Converge CQI so audit systems from other providers can be plugged into it, as long as it meets relevant compatibility requirements. 

This could further enhance the system’s scope alongside existing integrations with Telstra Health and e-Case. 

With aged care reforms demanding faster, more transparent responses to issues, QPS Benchmarking’s CQI system delivers the visibility and accountability the sector needs.

“This compatibility strengthens other products, it strengthens our product. At the end of the day, it’s going to give you the ability to find and see things at a pace and with an accuracy that’s never been possible,” Mr Holcroft said.

“Quality improvement now becomes a proactive task, rather than a reactive task. Rather than waiting a month or two to work out the issues, which if they’re serious enough that’s unacceptable in a health or aged care setting, our system lets you act immediately.”

Beyond meeting regulatory requirements, this innovation signals a cultural shift in aged care. It’s about empowering providers with the tools to deliver safer, higher-quality care, and doing so with speed and clarity never before possible.

In a sector where outcomes matter most, QPS Benchmarking’s new CQI system — Converge CQI — may just be the game-changer aged care providers have been waiting for.

If you’re ready to make the shift to proactive quality management, Converge CQI is the tool to take you there. Contact QPS Benchmarking at [email protected] or on (02) 4229 5880 to find out how Converge CQI can support your readiness journey.