Human oversight not part of IAT review as Senator Ruston proposes new laws
- Review scope: Human oversight excluded from rapid IAT review
- Senate action: Ruston proposes human oversight legislation
- Professional judgement: Bill restores assessor decision-making authority
- IAT changes: Assessment errors can now be corrected
Health Minister Mark Butler announced last week a three-month review of his own department's Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT).
This week The Weekly SOURCE has confirmed that human oversight of Support at Home decisions, widely regarded as the major shortcoming of the IAT, will not be part of the "rapid review" of the prioritisation mechanisms.
It's hoped that ongoing reviews of all aspects of Support at Home, which will continue in tandem with the rapid review, will be looking at this key matter.
Private Members Bill aimed at introducing human oversight
Senator Anne Ruston, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, has been forced to take action, planning to introduce a Private Members Bill in the Senate during the next parliamentary sitting week (starting 22 June) aimed at introducing human oversight of IAT decisions.
"The Coalition will restore human oversight to aged care needs assessments and ensure that technology supports, rather than replaces, professional judgement," documents supporting the Bill state.
Amendments to subsections 62(1A) and 76(1A) are aimed at ensuring that "the IAT functions in a supporting capacity only, and that the approved needs assessor retains authority to record an assessment outcome based on their professional judgment."
Tweaks to Integrated Assessment Tool
At the same time, the Department has confirmed with The Weekly SOURCE it is implementing a "procedural refinement" of the IAT that allows assessment delegates, the final reviewer of IAT decisions, to return a completed IAT to the assessor if they identify errors.
The tweak is aimed at replacing the need for reassessment or lengthy review processes. The process can only be used once per assessment.
