What is interRAI?
interRAI is the trademark name for the suite of meticulously-researched clinical assessments that build a picture of a person’s health and wellbeing needs. Each assessment provides information to inform clinical decision-making and care planning.
The interRAI international consortium develops, maintains and reviews assessment instruments using rigorous research standards. They license member countries to use interRAI assessments. The consortium has developed assessment instruments for children, youth and adults, across a broad range of healthcare settings. interRAI Services is licensed to provide six assessments for use in New Zealand.
The assessments are:
- Contact Assessment: a brief assessment to triage needs and establish a health and wellbeing baseline
- Home Care assessment: an in-depth assessment focused on supporting a person at home
- Community Health Assessment: a modular in-depth assessment focused on supporting a person at home. Modules (e.g., mental health) can be added as required
- Long Term Care Facilities assessment: an assessment for people who live in aged residential care
- Acute Care assessment: an assessment used in hospitals, focused on rehabilitation needs
- Palliative Care assessment: an assessment used in aged care, hospice care or in the community, focused on palliative care needs.
How we work
interRAI Services delivers a range of services to support the use of interRAI assessments in New Zealand.
- Software: we deliver the interRAI Assessment Software (iAS) electronic health record platform to assessors.
- Education, training and certification: we train health professionals to deliver the assessments and non-health professionals to understand the interRAI assessment outputs. We also accredit educators to deliver interRAI training in their own organisations.
- Data and analysis: we work with data gathered through assessments to support research and decision-making.
- Programme management and collaboration: we work with colleagues across the health sector to promote and support the use of interRAI assessments.
Our organisation
interRAI Services is a business unit within Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. We work in collaboration with IT, Health of Older People and clinical assessment colleagues across the motu to deliver excellence in assessment to health consumers.
We’re part of the Planning, Funding and Outcomes team, led by Dr Dale Bramley.
Our implementation journey
We're on a journey to implement and improve interRAI assessments in New Zealand. Here's what we've achieved since we began in 2003.
2023
The Culturally Appropriate Assessment model report is published. An implementation project begins.
2022
Work begins to develop a Culturally Appropriate Assessment Model.
Palliative Care assessment expanded into aged residential care.
2021
New interRAI governance ecosystem created according to service design recommendations.
The interRAI Acute Care assessment becomes available. This assessment is for use in hospitals.
2020
Online training is developed in response to COVID-19.
The interRAI Service design report is published. Implementation begins.
2019
First interRAI Knowledge Exchange takes place, interRAI Research Network established.
2018
interRAI data visualisation tool developed.
2017
The Palliative Care assessment is introduced. It's an assessment for people who have a terminal prognosis, and live in the community.
2015
TAS becomes the national service provider for interRAI in New Zealand.
2012 All DHBs are using interRAI to assess older people’s needs, for home and community support services
interRAI becomes mandatory in Aged Residential Care from July 2015. New Zealand is the first country in the world to use the assessment tools nationwide.
2010
The New Zealand Aged Care Association and DHBs support using interRAI assessments in Aged Residential Care. Use of the assessments is voluntary.
2008
The interRAI National DHB Implementation Project begins. interRAI is implemented in phases. DHBs take individual responsibility for implementation, subject to national criteria.
2007
All DHB Chief Executives support national implementation of interRAI home and community assessments.
2004
Five District Health Boards (DHBs) pilot the interRAI Home Care assessment. Results showed the importance of consistent training.
2003
The New Zealand Best Practice Guidelines - Assessment Processes for Older People is published. It states interRAI assessments are the best choice to meet the objectives of the 2002 Health of Older People Strategy.