Evaluation of the Encouraging Better Practice in Aged Care (ebpac) Initiative Final Report

5.3Cost implications of national roll-out projects

Table shows cost information for each national roll-out project. For each unit of counting a separate line is used. These are: ‘cost for development of resource’, ‘per workshop’, ‘per attendee’, ‘per RACF represented’. The last two columns show the date of the latest available receipts and expenditure report and the total funding received.

RC1

The RC1 project received funding of $2,000,000 to undertake a national rollout of the Palliative Care Toolkit by organising training workshops and providing a toolkit for health professionals to help improve palliative and end of life care for RACF residents. As of 28 February 2015, total expenditure was $1,414,053. Of this, $226,262 was spent on the development of resources. Sixty one workshops were held and each workshop was attended by an average of 46 persons. In total 2,824 health professionals from 1,540 different RACF attended the training workshops. The cost of organising and running the workshops was $47 per attendee. Total project costs per attendee were $421, per RACF present at the workshops the total costs were $771 and workshop specific costs were $85.

The final report of the RC3 states that 3,000 copies of the toolkit costed $131,860. Hence, each toolkit cost $44.

RC2

According to the funding agreement the RC2 project received funding of $967,287 (including additional funding) to implement the Champions for Skin Integrity (CSI) model of wound care. The funding of this national rollout project was used to organise training workshops and to develop a toolkit. The development of this toolkit cost $119,064.

Thirty seven workshops were held, costing on average $5,172. Each workshop was attended by approximately 35 persons. In total 1,286 health professionals from 835 different RACF attended the workshops. The costs of organising and running the workshops were $149 per attendee. Total project costs per attendee were $660. Per RACF present at the workshops the total costs were $1,016 and workshop specific cost were $229.

The final report of the CSI project provides additional information regarding the cost per CSI resource kit. When printing 4,000 copies, each costed $19.

The strategy of both national rollout projects was to organise a number of training workshops. Ideally the health professionals who attended the workshops would implement local changes to practice at their respective RACF. The resource development cost was $226,262 in RC1 and $119,064 in RC2. But cost per workshop was much less in RC1 ($2,157) compared to RC2 with $5,172. The cost difference per attendee was much less, $421 in RC1 versus $660 in RC2. The reason for that was primarily the number of attendees per workshop. In RC1, an average 46 health professionals attended the workshops while it was only 35 in RC2.

However, these figures should be read in conjunction with other parts of this report, especially regarding wether local changes were eventually initiated by the training workshops.

Table National roll-out projects, expenditure and funding

Code	Description	Expenditure per Unit	Date	Funded Amount
RC1	1 Resource	226,262	28/02/2015	2,000,000
RC1	61 Workshops	2,157	28/02/2015	2,000,000
RC1	2,824 Health professionals	421	28/02/2015	2,000,000
RC1	1,540 RACF	771	28/02/2015	2,000,000
RC2	1 Resource	119,064	31/03/2015	967,287
RC2	37 Workshops	5,172	31/03/2015	967,287
RC2	1,286 Health professionals	660	31/03/2015	967,287
RC2	835 RACF	1,016	31/03/2015	967,287