Canberra company PentaQuest has teamed up with the University of Queensland (UQ) and Asymmetric Innovation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 in residential aged care across Australia.

The partnership brings together deep expertise in behavioural science and gamification powered by world renowned infectious disease science at the forefront of UQ’s effort to create change. The app is designed to support aged care workers dealing with COVID-19 and to protect those that are most vulnerable in our community.

Moving at a rapid pace the app was built within two weeks and provides information and pathways to improved skills and wellbeing of aged care workers faced with the daunting prospect of caring for elderly residents through the Coronavirus outbreak.

The app is available on any modern mobile phone or tablet through a browser and allows users to interact with news, information and other activities to support them to care for their residents, their families and themselves in a collaborative and engaging experience alongside their peers.

“I am convinced that novel apps, such as this one, that are backed by the best available science in infectious disease, behavioural science, and gamification, will be useful in containing the spread of the virus and avoiding the most serious consequences for many vulnerable people in our community” said Prof Paul Bertsch, Interim Queensland Chief Scientist.

The Care Collective are currently running a randomised controlled trial which will test the efficacy of their innovative approach in reducing the incidence and transmission of the virus within the aged care environment and between aged care workers, their residents and families. If successful and pending further funding to maintain and continue to improve the app it will be made available to aged care workers in Australia to aid in fighting the coronavirus together.

PentaQuest provide bespoke and off-the-shelf gamified platforms in addition to consulting services to solve a range of organisational performance and cultural challenges.

If you are an aged care facility and would like to be involved in this upcoming study, register your interest here.