Australia's first electronic screening and risk prediction tool for deterioration in aged care residents, developed by RMIT University, Telstra Health, and Digital Health CRC, has won Research Australia's Digital & Data Health Innovation Award for 2024.

The tool uses natural language processing and machine learning to analyse the data of aged care residents' electronic records.It tracks 36 markers of deterioration, and can provide close-to real time prediction of the risk of falls, depression, and mortality. 

The results are displayed on a dashboard, allowing staff to monitor both individual residents and overall trends. 

Dr Monica Trujillo, Chief Health Officer with Telstra Health, who nominated the project for the award, along with RMIT University's Clare Russell, said, "By harnessing natural language processing and machine learning, we are not only improving resident outcomes but also supporting care providers with actionable insights to make timely, life-saving decisions."

RMIT University’s project lead and data scientist, Dr Tabinda Sarwar, said the project "wasn’t a one-size-fits-all".

"We had to consider the specific needs of each facility and that is what makes this achievement so significant." 

Earlier this year, the tool won Cooperative Research Australia's 'Award for Impact' in recognition of its positive impact on aged care health and safety.