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Save Time Conducting QI Program Surveys

As we all settle into routinely conducting the new Quality Indicator (QI) Program surveys, we thought we should look at how it can be done better to save time and make life easier. We delve into a comparison of two strategies for conducting these surveys: digital versus paper forms. We'll discuss how implementing a digital solution not only aligns with the legal requirements of data handling but also could translate to significant time and cost savings for your organisation.


On April 1 2023 the QI Program expanded to include 6 new indicators:

  1. Activities of daily living
  2. Incontinence care
  3. Hospitalisation
  4. Workforce
  5. Consumer experience
  6. Quality of life
Data for the first 9 can be extracted from existing care management, HR or accounting systems. The last two are different beasts. They require each and every care recipient to be surveyed twice, each and every quarter. Whilst the "Quality of Care Experience" and the "Quality of Life" surveys are not particularly long, it’s a time-consuming task.

We’re going to run through some tips as to how to conduct the surveys most effectively - first using Tell Touch, and then using paper forms. The Tell Touch survey package has made it easy to collect, store and monitor survey results. Unlike digital surveys available online, you can rest assured that when using Tell Touch that data is stored here in Australia.

A few caveats first. There are plenty of digital survey tools that are fantastic (e.g. Survey Monkey, Google Forms and many others). But, these surveys contain “personal health data”. LegalVision notes “Health records and associated data must not be processed, held, taken, handled, or stored outside Australia.” It may be possible to use these tools if you get and document express consent, however, we suggest you speak to your lawyer before doing so. All of these digital survey tools host data outside of Australia so as a consequence, we are going to suggest you avoid them.

That leaves a fairly manual, labour-intensive process … or you use Tell Touch. We’ll go over each process below for a fictitious home. In this home, there are 100 residents and approximately 50% of them are capable of completing the survey when a staff member conducts the survey.

Using Tell Touch

  1. Go to the “Consumer Activity Report” in your Tell Touch dashboard. Set the time period to “This Quarter”. Tap the “Send survey” buttons in both the “QCE Score” and “QOL Score” sections. This will send an email or SMS to the consumers and representatives asking them to complete the two surveys. (Time estimate - 1 minute).
  2. On the 15th day of the quarter, again go to the “Consumer Activity Report” in your Tell Touch dashboard. You might expect that 50% of residents or their representatives have completed the survey. Tap the “Send survey” buttons in both the “QCE Score” and “QOL Score” sections. This will send an email or SMS to the consumers and representatives that have not completed the surveys asking them to complete the two surveys. (Time estimate - 1 minute).
  3. On the 1st day of the second month of the quarter, you might expect 75% of consumers’ surveys to be completed. That means there are 25 residents with surveys outstanding. We will assume that half of them have the capacity to complete the surveys if interviewed by a staff member. Assign the task to a carer to survey the residents with capacity but have not yet completed the survey. On a tablet (e.g. an iPad) or phone, go to the survey section of your Tell Touch Dashboard and open the QOL and QCE surveys in separate tabs. Walk around to residents and ask them to complete the survey. They should do 2 a day until all residents with capacity have completed the surveys. (Time estimate - 3 hours).
  4. There will be about 13 outstanding surveys. Go to the “Consumer Activity Report” in your Tell Touch dashboard. Set the time period to “This Quarter”. Again, tap the “Send survey” buttons in both the “QCE Score” and “QOL Score” sections. This will send another email or SMS to the representatives of consumers that have not completed the survey. (Time estimate - 1 minute).
  5. On the 15th day of the second month of the quarter, there should be about 8 consumers left. Start calling the remaining representatives and ask them to complete the survey over the phone. (Time estimate - 2 hours spread over a few weeks.)
  6. Once all surveys are completed, the value that needs to be reported will be calculated in the “Consumer Activity Report”. Open the My Aged Care Portal and enter that score. (Time estimate - 1 minute.)
Total time: 5 hours 4 minutes.

Using Paper Forms

  1. Create a list of all residents. (Time estimate - 1 hour) We suggest using an Excel spreadsheet. Here is a template. It should contain the following columns:
    • Consumer name
    • Capable of completing the surveys.
    • Primary representative name
    • Primary representative postal address
    • Primary representative phone number
    • Date QOL survey sent
    • Date QCE survey sent
    • Date QOL survey completed/returned
    • Date QCE survey completed/returned
    • QOL score
    • QCE score
  2. On the first day of the quarter, print out each survey for each resident. Put them in separate folders. (Time estimate 1 hour).
    • Resident to complete
    • Representative to complete.
  3. Keep the “Representative to complete” surveys at reception. Anytime they come in to visit, ask if they can complete the survey (if they have not already done so). 
  4. Assign the task to a carer to survey residents with capacity. They should do 3 a day until all residents with capacity have completed the surveys. (Time estimate - 60 minutes a day for approximately 16 days - 16 hours).
  5. On the first day of the second month of the quarter, collect all completed surveys and calculate the scores. We will assume that 50% of the representatives (25 people) have completed the surveys. 2 surveys per resident x 75 residents completed so far = 150 surveys. This should take just under one minute per survey to calculate the score. (Time estimate: 2 hours.)
  6. Input the data into the Excel spreadsheet. (Time estimate 1 hour.)
  7. For the 25 residents that are remaining, compile a letter for mailout (Time estimate 2 hours):
    • Address envelopes.
    • Include a self-addressed envelope (to make it easy for them to return the surveys).
    • Print out a cover letter - use this template
    • Include the cover letter and the surveys in the envelope.
    • Take the letters to the post office.
    • Note the date the surveys were sent in the spreadsheet.
  8. On the 15th of the second month of the quarter, the assigned person should collate all the surveys returned by mail, calculate the score and input the results in the spreadsheet. We will assume that 15 out of the 25 are returned. (Time estimate - 30 minutes.)
  9. Print out another copy of each of the surveys for each of the 10 remaining residents. (Time estiamte 5 minutes.)
  10. Call each representative and ask to do the survey over the phone. Immediately calculate the scores and input the data into the spreadsheet. You will likely have to do this over a number of days as people will not always be available. (Time estimate - 3 hours spread over a few weeks.)
  11. Once all surveys are completed, The value that needs to be reported will be calculated in the spreadsheet. Open the My Aged Care Portal and enter that score. (Time estimate - 1 minute.)

Total time: 26 hours 36 minutes.

Compare the Options

Let’s do some maths.

  • 21.5 work hours is the best part of 3 days saving per quarter, or 12 days per year. 
  • There are 248 work days a year. But allow 8-9 days of sick leave and 20 days of annual leave, which means there are 220 working days per year.
  • 12 days out of 220 days around 5.5%.
  • The average annual salary of a Facility/Home Manager is $120,000 and the average annual salary of an Administrative Assistant is $70,000. 
  • Assuming half the work is done by each, saving 2.75 % of $120,000 and 2.75% of $70,000 is $5,225 per year. 
That means using Tell Tell Touch can save $5,225 per year per home whilst:
  • Maintaining full visibility of the progress of surveys;
  • Giving you the ability to track the results as you go along; and
  • Not having to store physical copies of the data (required if audited).
Contact us to find out more.

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