Transforming Aged Care Through Human-Centred Design

Background

The Department of Health and Aged Care identified a strategic opportunity to transform aged care service delivery through digital innovation, as outlined in its Digital Health Blueprint 2023–2033 and Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy 2024–2029. Key challenges included the absence of systematic, user-centred design approaches and difficulty in scaling innovation across the sector. The department’s targets included enabling 80% of older Australians to age in place and reducing the administrative burden on care staff by 40% through automation and digital enablement.

A Human-centred Approach

CTO Consulting was engaged to help establish a sustainable innovation capability, with a focus on embedding human-centred design into the department’s digital transformation agenda. We established a dedicated Human-Centred Solution Design function, embedding two full-time designers to collaborate with Innovation Experience Managers.

Key activities included:

• Implementing structured user research and design methodologies

• Conducting targeted research with older people, assessors, providers, and vendors

• Developing rapid experimentation toolkits and prototyping environments

• Establishing feedback loops with sector participants

• Planning regular engagement forums to guide design and delivery

Our collaborative design sessions with stakeholders ensured solutions were developed with—and not just for—the aged care community.

Digital Ecosystem Foundations

Between January and June 2025, CTO Consulting laid the foundations for a sustainable digital innovation ecosystem. Key achievements include:

• Establishment of a Digital Knowledge Hub

• Deployment of initial prototyping capabilities

• Launch planning for the first Sector Innovation Challenge in March 2025

• Alignment of solution development with the Digital Service Standard 2.0

• Preparation for the inaugural Innovation Showcase, scheduled for June 2025

These milestones position the department to deliver user-driven, ethically sound digital solutions that are scalable and measurable.

Ethics and Governance

Ethical delivery underpinned every aspect of this engagement. CTO Consulting applied inclusive design practices to ensure accessibility for users of all digital literacy levels. Our governance framework included:

• Transparent stakeholder engagement protocols

• Rigorous privacy and data protection compliance

• Risk management processes aligned with government standards

All design efforts were grounded in a clear commitment to improving care quality, building user trust, and alleviating workforce strain.

Long-Term Impact

CTO Consulting’s work is expected to drive long-term benefits across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The introduced digital-first care models and remote monitoring capabilities are expected to deliver significant environmental benefits, including reduced travel and paper usage. Economically, the scalable innovation framework and planned Innovation Academy will support continuous capability uplift and reduce duplication of effort across aged care providers. Socially, the focus remains on enhancing care outcomes and creating a more sustainable, digitally empowered workforce.

Summary

CTO Consulting is proud to support the Department of Health and Aged Care in building a future-ready, human-centred innovation capability. We enable measurable transformation in Australia’s aged care system through structured methodologies, ethical delivery, and sustainable design practices.