Evidence-Based Resources

Curated standards, frameworks, white papers, and best practice documents to support board directors, governance professionals, and healthcare leaders across quality, compliance, and cyber security.

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Framework

“Don’t walk. Run.” National Policy Roadmap for AI in Healthcare.

Priority Area Recommendations across: - Governance for safety, quality, ethics and security - Sovereign Capabilities - Accelerating the adoption of AI across healthcare - Workforce - Consumers - Industry - Research and Development

Australian Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAAiH)
CybersecurityDigital Health
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Regulatory

A New Aged Care Act — Summary of Key Changes

Overview of the new rights-based Aged Care Act, replacing the Aged Care Act 1997. Covers strengthened quality standards, provider obligations, and consumer rights.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Aged CareGovernance
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Regulatory

Aged Care Act 2024

The full text of the Aged Care Act 2024 — the new rights-based legislation replacing the Aged Care Act 1997, strengthening the rights of older Australians and reforming provider obligations and regulatory requirements.

Australian Government — Federal Register of Legislation
Aged CareGovernance
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Standard

Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard

Quality statements to guide appropriate antimicrobial use across health care settings, reducing resistance and improving patient outcomes.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Aged Care
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Regulatory

Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights

Describes the rights of patients and consumers when accessing health care services in Australia — a foundational document for consumer-centred governance and accreditation.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
HospitalGovernance
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Standard

Australian Privacy Principles guidelines

The Australian Privacy Principles (APP) guidelines outline the mandatory requirements of the APPs, how we’ll interpret the APPs, and matters we may take into account when exercising our functions and powers under the Privacy Act 1988. Both the APPs and the APP guidelines apply to any organisation or agency the Privacy Act covers. The Privacy Act covers Australian Government agencies and organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, and some other organisations. The Privacy Act cover some small business operators (organisations with an annual turnover of $3 million or less), including: a private sector health service provider — an organisation that provides a health service ...

OAIC
Board DirectorDigital Health
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Regulatory

Care Minutes in Residential Aged Care

Mandatory care minute targets requiring residential aged care providers to deliver a minimum amount of direct care time per resident per day — including registered nurse time. A key workforce and quality compliance obligation.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Aged CareGovernance
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Standard

Chapter 1: APP 1 Open and transparent management of personal information

Key points APP 1 outlines the requirements for an APP entity to manage personal information in an open and transparent way. An APP entity must take reasonable steps to implement practices, procedures and systems that will ensure it complies with the APPs and any binding registered APP code, and is able to deal with related inquiries and complaints. An APP entity must have a clearly expressed and up-to-date APP Privacy Policy about how it manages personal information. An APP entity must take reasonable steps to make its APP Privacy Policy available free of charge and in an appropriate form (usually on its website). An APP entity must, upon request, take reasonable steps to provide a person or body with a copy of its APP Privacy Policy in the particular form requested. From 10 December 2026, an APP entity must include additional information in its APP Privacy Policy if it arranges for a computer program to use personal information to make decisions that could reasonably be expected to significantly affect the rights or interests of an individual.[1]

OAIC
Board DirectorDigital Health
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Standard

Clinical Care Standards

Evidence-based statements describing the care patients should be offered for specific clinical conditions. Designed to reduce unwarranted variation.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Hospital
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Framework

Clinical Coding Practice Framework

National framework for clinical coding practice in Australia — setting out the principles, governance, workforce standards, and quality assurance requirements for accurate and consistent clinical coding.

Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA)
HospitalDigital Health
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Regulatory

Code of Conduct for Aged Care

The legislated code of conduct setting out the behaviour and standards expected of aged care workers and providers — covering safe, respectful, and person-centred care. Enforceable under the new Aged Care Act.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Aged CareSupport at HomeGovernance
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Framework

COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework

The globally recognised framework for enterprise risk management, integrating strategy and performance. Provides principles for designing, implementing, and evaluating risk management across an organisation.

Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)
Governance
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Framework

Digital Gov

The single entry point for information and services supporting Australian Government agencies and departments in their digital government agenda.

Australian Government
Digital Health
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Framework

ELDAC Palliative Care

Evidence-based resources supporting aged care providers to deliver quality palliative care and end-of-life care within residential and community settings.

End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC)
Aged Care
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Framework

Essential Eight maturity model

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has developed prioritised mitigation strategies, in the form of the Strategies to mitigate cyber security incidents, to help organisations protect themselves against various cyber threats. The most effective of these mitigation strategies are the Essential Eight.

Australian Signals Directorate
Cybersecurity
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Framework

FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources)

The leading global standard for health care data exchange. FHIR defines how health information is structured, shared, and accessed across systems.

HL7 International
Digital Health
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Framework

Guidance for AI adoption: implementation guidance

This version of the essential practices helps your organisation strengthen how it governs AI. This guidance is for teams that: build or customise AI systems use AI in more complex ways manage higher-risk use cases need stronger controls and oversight want more detailed or specialist guidance. Things to keep in mind Some practices apply across your whole organisation. These includes: governance frameworks clear roles AI registers supply chain accountability.

National AI Centre
Digital Health
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Framework

Guidelines for cyber security roles

Board of directors and executive committee Embedding cyber security To ensure that cyber security is embedded throughout an organisation, it is important that the board of directors or executive committee commits to defining clear roles and responsibilities for cyber security and integrating cyber security throughout all business functions within their organisation. They should also align their organisation’s cyber security strategy with their organisation’s overarching strategic direction and business strategy and seek regular briefings or reporting on the cyber security posture of their organisation and the threat environment in which it operates.

Australian Signals Directorate
Cybersecurity
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Standard

HL7 International

The global authority for health data interoperability standards — including HL7 v2 messaging, CDA clinical documents, and FHIR. Essential for any organisation working with digital health data exchange.

Health Level Seven International
Digital Health
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Regulatory

Home-Level Care Minutes Performance in Residential Aged Care

Reporting on individual residential aged care home performance against mandatory care minute targets — enabling providers, consumers, and regulators to monitor direct care delivery at the facility level.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Aged CareGovernance
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Standard

ICD-10-AM / ACHI / ACS Classification (IHACPA)

Australia's official clinical coding classification system — covering ICD-10-AM (diagnosis coding), ACHI (procedure coding), and ACS (Australian Coding Standards). The national standard for hospital activity data and casemix funding.

Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA)
HospitalDigital Health
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Regulatory

Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA)

The national authority responsible for health care and aged care pricing, classification, and costing — including casemix funding models, activity-based funding, and the ICD-10-AM classification system.

Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority
HospitalAged CareGovernance
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Standard

Integrated Health and Aged Care Services Module

Module supporting integrated care across health and aged care settings — designed to complement the NSQHS Standards and Aged Care Quality Standards for organisations delivering services across both sectors.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Aged CareHospitalGovernance
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Standard

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The global body for developing and publishing international standards across industries — including quality management (ISO 9001), information security (ISO 27001), and risk management (ISO 31000) frameworks widely adopted in healthcare governance.

International Organization for Standardization
Governance
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Framework

Interoperability Roadmap for Australian Healthcare

Strategic roadmap for achieving seamless, secure data sharing across the Australian health system using FHIR and national standards.

Australian Digital Health Agency
Digital Health
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Framework

National Digital Health Strategy

Australia's framework for a digitally enabled health system — setting out priorities for secure, interoperable, and consumer-centred digital health.

Australian Digital Health Agency
Digital HealthGovernance
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Framework

National Framework for Digital Health Standards

Establishes a coordinated approach to digital health standards adoption in Australia, including interoperability, terminology, and clinical information standards.

Australian Digital Health Agency
Digital Health
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Standard

National Model Clinical Governance Framework

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care released this model in June 2026, replacing the 2017 National Model Clinical Governance Framework. It is a short, principles-based document built around six foundations of clinical governance: leading systems and organisational culture; partnering with patients, carers and consumers; building a healthy workforce culture; enabling high-quality and integrated clinical practice; managing and reducing risk; and using data for better care. Its significance for directors is the shift from accreditation compliance to culture, and the explicit accountability it places on boards and executives — including oversight of psychosocial safety, cultural safety, and digitally and AI-enabled care. The six foundations will structure the Clinical Governance Standard in the third edition of the NSQHS Standards. Why we've included it: although scoped to acute health services, the six foundations map closely to what aged care boards are now expected to evidence under the Aged Care Act 2024. It is a useful benchmark for any board testing whether its clinical governance is real or documentary.

ACSQHC
Aged CareGovernanceDigital HealthHospitalSupport at Home
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Standard

National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards

The eight NSQHS Standards provide a nationally consistent framework for safety and quality in health service organisations. Mandatory for accreditation.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
HospitalGovernance
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Standard

NDIS Practice Standards

Quality standards for NDIS providers covering rights and responsibilities, governance, service delivery, and the service environment.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Governance
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Framework

New guidance helps organisations assess vendor readiness for post-quantum cryptography

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has released Post-quantum questions to ask your vendors, a new publication designed to help organisations assess the readiness of third-party suppliers of products or services for the transition to PQC. Future advances in quantum computing are expected to undermine widely used traditional public-key cryptographic algorithms. PQC includes cryptographic algorithms that are designed to remain secure against attacks from both classical and quantum computers. As organisations prepare for this transition, third-party products and services will play a critical role in supporting the adoption of quantum-resistant cryptography within recommended timeframes. The publication provides practical, vendor-neutral questions that organisations can use during procurement activities, contract renewals and vendor assurance processes. The guidance helps organisations: identify cryptographic dependencies assess quantum-related risks prioritise transition activities evaluate PQC implementation plans maintain effective vendor engagement throughout the transition.

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)
Cybersecurity
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Regulatory

Quality Indicator Program (QI Program)

National program requiring residential aged care providers to collect and report quality indicator data across key care domains — driving transparency and continuous improvement.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Aged CareGovernance
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Regulatory

Royal Commission into Aged Care — Final Report

The landmark report with 148 recommendations for reforming aged care in Australia. Essential reading for providers navigating the reform landscape.

Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
Aged CareGovernance
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Regulatory

Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS)

Framework requiring aged care providers to identify, record, manage, resolve, and report serious incidents — a key compliance obligation.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Aged CareGovernance
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Regulatory

Single Assessment System

The single assessment system for aged care — streamlining how older Australians are assessed for Support at Home and residential care, replacing multiple assessment pathways with one consistent framework.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Support at HomeAged CareGovernance
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Standard

SNOMED CT (Clinical Terminology)

The international clinical terminology standard used for consistent, computable representation of clinical concepts across electronic health records and health information systems.

National Clinical Terminology Service (NCTS)
Digital HealthHospital
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Framework

Sparked Products & Resources

Sparked is Australia's FHIR Accelerator, delivering products and services that improve healthcare information exchange. This page brings together the programme's five core work streams: Meaning & Context — the national data standards for interoperability (AUCDI and AUeReqDI) Language & Terms — clinical terminology ValueSets for radiology referrals (RANZCR) and pathology requests (RCPA) Sharing & Exchange — FHIR Implementation Guides including AU Core, AU Patient Summary and AU eRequesting Testing — piloting of FHIR standards supported by shared infrastructure and tooling Implement — a reference implementation and testing service for FHIR-based applications Useful for providers, vendors and boards seeking to understand the national direction on digital health data standards and what conformance will require.

Sparked
Digital Health
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Standard

Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards

The strengthened standards applying across residential care, home care, and Support at Home — with greater emphasis on clinical care, food and nutrition, diversity, and the aged care workforce. Commenced alongside the Aged Care Act 2024 reforms.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Aged CareSupport at HomeGovernance
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Regulatory

Support at Home Program

The new Support at Home program replacing the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), Home Care Packages, and Short-Term Restorative Care. A single unified program for in-home aged care support from July 2025.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Support at HomeAged Care
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Regulatory

Support at Home Program Manual

Operational guidance for providers delivering services under the Support at Home program — covering eligibility, classification, funding, and service delivery requirements.

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Support at HomeAged Care
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Standard

The latest cyber security advice, guidance and publications

Advice, guidance and publications from the The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). Find the latest cyber security advice, guidance and publications

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)
Cybersecurity
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Pearls and Irritations John Menadue's Public Policy Journal
Naomi Alefelder · Health · Politics

NDIS auditor bans shows a deeper problem with provider-paid audits

24 August 2026
Read at johnmenadue.com ↗

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