Australias first fully digitalAdvance Care Plan (ACP) platform, Touchstone Life Care, has today been selected to receive funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) through the ANDHealth+ program.
Touchstone Life Care is one of six high-growth potential digital health companies receiving a share of $3.75 million from the MRFF.
Touchstone Life Care founder and CEO, Dr Merran Cooper, said this was a game changing opportunity to meaningfully improve end-of-life care for Australians.
We are so pleased to be selected by ANDHealth+ for this important growth opportunity, Dr Cooper said.
We know that less than seven per cent of Australians have an up-to-date ACP. And where they do exist, they are typically in paper form, unavailable in an emergency, or without meaningful instructions for clinicians to enact.
Touchstones platform reduces these risks, providing a fully digital, cloud-based ACP that can be accessed by decision-makers at the point of need, which improves end-of-life care.
Wed like to thank the Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler for his faith in Australian healthcare innovations, and wed also like to thank ANDHealth+ for the opportunity to make Touchstone available to more Australians.
Dr Cooper said the Touchstone platform specifically addresses several recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety that relate to digital ACPs.
With the strengthened Aged Care Act, new Standards and an appointed regulator expected to be in place within 12 months, aged care providers will run the risk of being deregistered if they do not comply with Standards for Advance Care Planning, Dr Cooper said.
We look forward to working with ANDHealth+ and taking important steps towards improving the end-of-life care for older people in Australia.
In Australia, ACPs are relevant to the:
4.2 million people aged over 65, along with their families.
1500 providers delivering residential and home-based aged care who are required to demonstrate performance in advance care planning including for shared decision making and hospital transfers.
360,000 recipients of government supported residential and home care services.
160,000 Australians who die each year and 160,000 who enter ICU each year, as well as their families, medical decision makers and care providers.
About Touchstone Life Care
Touchstone Life Care is Australias only fully digital, cloud-based Advance Care Planning (ACP) management platform. The Touchstone Life Care platform integrates with stakeholders across the healthcare system, making ACPs securely available at the point of need.
Currently, ACPs are drafted and shared via physical forms which is inefficient, lacking security and prone to mistakes. This has resulted in low uptake, poor version control, and lost forms. Touchstone Life Care addresses this issue at the core, providing a digital ACP created and shared ahead of need, and made accessible to clinicians and decision makers at the point of need to ensure an individuals wishes are followed during end-of-life care.
Learn more about Touchstone Life Care