New TGA-Approved Device Helping Aged Care Providers Ensure the Health and Safety of Residents and Staff

Temperature checks and sign-in processes are now the norm, adding complexity for aged care providers that need to manage and verify dozens of staff, visitors, and contractors entering their site every day.

LoopKiosk is the first TGA-approved integrated entry management system that uses infrared thermometer technology to accurately check a person’s temperature as part of an electronic sign-in process.

Upon entry, a person enters their details into LoopKiosk and answers a series of screening questions, and the device conducts a contactless temperature reading. The LoopKiosk automatically sends an alert if a high temperature is detected, or if a screening question or vaccination certificate needs to be checked.

“LoopKiosk helps to ensure people entering an aged care home are healthy in terms of their temperature, and records their sign-in details to enable contact tracing and verification,” LoopLearn co-founder and director, Zoe Milne, said.

LoopLearn is an Australian start-up company, established in 2018. It offers a range of technology solutions designed to make it simpler, quicker, and more efficient for organisations to ensure the health and safety of their communities and people in their care.

“The use of infrared thermometer technology to accurately read a person’s temperature is what makes LoopKiosk unique. It’s the same technology used by medical professionals, now working in sync with sign-in software.”

In July 2020, in the context of the outbreak of COVID-19, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued a new guidance requiring all digital thermometers, including devices intended for screening and based on the use of an infrared radiation measurement technique, be regulated as Class IIa. LoopKiosk received this approval this week, and it is now listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

“We are incredibly proud that LoopKiosk is the first integrated entry management system with infrared thermometer technology to be approved by the TGA,” Ms Milne said.

“We believe LoopKiosk will help aged care providers fulfil their duty of care in ways not possible before.”

Ian Blair, Director of Operations of residential care group, Uniting AgeWell, has trialled the LoopKiosk across the groups’ Victorian facilities, and says it has provided peace of mind that one of the signs someone may not be well – a high temperature – is picked up at the front door.

“Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our residents and staff. Whether it’s COVID-19 or another illness, temperature can be an indicator that someone is unwell, and the LoopKiosk makes it easier for us to monitor for that.”

“LoopKiosk has made the sign-in and temperature checking process much more efficient across our homes – completely removing paper processes and providing centralised reporting. It means we have an accurate record of everyone onsite at any point in time, which will be particularly important for contact tracing purposes,” Mr Blair said.

LoopKiosk also allows screening questions to be set by organisations – for example, it could ask if a person has visited another aged care facility in the past 14 days, which could be used to cross-reference against COVID-19 outbreaks.

“LoopKiosk will help health and aged care providers ensure the health and safety of those in their care, and their staff and visitors,” Ms Milne said.