Group head
Ms Jenny Hargreaves
What we do
The Hospitals and Performance Group provides statistical leadership, develops and compiles data, undertakes analyses and disseminates policy-relevant statistical information about hospitals and health sector performance, including the safety and quality of health care. Main outputs are the Australian hospital statistics suite of products and data and information content for the MyHospitals website.
The group has a focus on shaping the AIHW's future role in hospital data management and reporting, and in health sector performance reporting, within the changing environment of the national health reforms.
The group contributes to national and international data and information infrastructure development through leadership and participation in a range of national activities and forums relating to information on hospitals, health care safety and quality, and performance reporting. The group is also responsible for coordinating aspects of Australia's international health classification work.
Major achievements
During 2011–12, major achievements of the group were:
- publishing, for the first time, national statistics about Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, a serious bloodstream infection associated with hospital care
- updating the MyHospitals website with data on Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, hand hygiene, cancer services and cancer surgery waiting times
- producing Australia's hospitals at a glance for release as a web product
- contributing to the review of performance indicators for the National Healthcare Agreement
- providing data and data quality statements for all AIHW data supplied for the COAG National Agreements performance indicators
- providing data and technical advice relating to several COAG National Partnership Agreements Performance Indicators
- engaging with stakeholders to update several hospital national minimum data sets to meet contemporary health reform needs
- developing data quality statements for data supplied by the AIHW for the SCRGSP's Report on government services 2012.
Units in this group
- Health Performance Indicators
- Hospitals Comparison
- Hospitals Data
- Hospitals Information Improvement
- Hospitals Reporting
At the start of the year, the Health Care Safety and Quality Unit ceased. The Hospitals Comparison Unit was formed in January 2012.
Health Performance Indicators Unit
Unit head
Ms Louise York (to June 2012)
Ms Justine Boland (from June 2012)
What we do
The Health Performance Indicators Unit develops, compiles and analyses data relevant to the performance monitoring of Australia's health care system. The unit's major focus is on coordinating the development and delivery of high-quality performance indicators under the National Healthcare Agreement, in consultation with national health information committees. The unit also coordinates the AIHW's contributions for the SCRGSP's Report on government services, and works with stakeholders to develop national data collections required for health performance reporting, particularly for non-admitted patients of hospitals.
Objectives
- Work closely with the National Health Information Standards and Statistics Committee (NHISSC) of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council to refine health performance indicators for the National Healthcare Agreement and assist in meeting other national reporting requirements related to the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations
- Provide technical advice for the review of the National Healthcare Agreement conceptual framework and indicators
- Coordinate the provision of performance reporting material under the National Healthcare Agreement from the AIHW and other relevant agencies to central agencies within agreed deadlines
- Improve the quality and comprehensiveness of Australia's national data on non-admitted patients of hospitals
| Performance in planned statistical and reporting deliverables |
| Contribute to Australia's health 2012 |
Achieved |
| Supply National Healthcare Agreement performance indicators and associated data quality statements to the SCRGSP |
Achieved |
| Publish a bulletin on the data development requirements for hospital emergency department services |
Not achieved
Removed from work plan |
Performance in planned data development activities
- Coordinated the program of refining data and metadata standards required for the reporting of performance indicators under the National Healthcare Agreement
- Finalised development of a new data set specification to support reporting of information about waiting times for radiotherapy treatment services,
endorsed by the NHISSC and the National Health Information and Performance
Principal Committee
- Coordinated the AIHW's inputs for performance indicator reporting under COAG arrangements and for the SCRGSP's Report on government services 2012
- Liaised with national information committees, the SCRGSP, the COAG Reform Council and other bodies responsible for the development of health sector performance reporting
- Worked with all stakeholders to facilitate the continuous improvement of data sources and reporting processes required for COAG performance reporting
Additional projects
- Began emergency department data development, and completed development of national metadata and performance indicators to support reporting against the National Emergency Access Target (National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospitals (2011) Schedule C)
- Contributed to the development of a set of core questions for surveys on the experiences of hospital patients
- Finalised amended metadata to improve the collection of data on the sources of hospital patient funding, and contracted care arrangements
- Contributed to a report on the quality of Indigenous identification in emergency departments, part of COAG's Closing the Gap strategy
- Managed the relationship between the AIHW and the National Injury Surveillance Unit, an AIHW collaborating unit
- Published Australian hospital statistics 2010–2011: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Australian public hospitals
Committees
- National Health Information Standards and Statistics Committee: Support to the AIHW member of this committee of the National Health Information and Performance Principal Committee; the committee is chaired by Dr David Filby (Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council)
- Potentially Preventable Hospitalisations and Potentially Avoidable Deaths Working Group: Secretariat to this NHISSC working group, jointly chaired by the AIHW and Mr Neville Board (ACSQHS)
- Emergency Data Development Working Group: Secretariat to this NHISSC working group, chaired by the AIHW
- Patient Experience Information Development Working Group: Member of this NHISSC working group, jointly chaired by Mr Neville Board (ACSQHS) and Mr David Dennis (DoHA)
- National Healthcare Agreement Review Working Group: Member of this COAG subcommittee, chaired by Ms Helen McDevitt (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet)
- Patient Experience Survey Reference Group: Member of this ABS group, chaired by Dr Paul Jelfs (ABS)
- Steering Committee for a data quality study on hospital separation data: Member and support to co-chairs of this National Advisory Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Information and Data subcommittee, chaired by the AIHW
Data collections managed
- Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia National Data Collection
Hospitals Comparison Unit
Unit head
Mr David Braddock
What we do
The Hospitals Comparison Unit is responsible for developing comparative performance data for Australian hospitals, drawing upon established AIHW data sources and building new collections. The unit develops data presentations and accompanying information for the MyHospitals website in collaboration with government and private sector stakeholders.
Objectives
- Work closely with the MyHospitals Development Steering Committee and the National Health Performance Authority to develop new information for reporting on the MyHospitals website, and work towards improving the quality, timeliness and comprehensiveness of existing content for the website
- Develop and build data collection infrastructure in consultation with hospital data providers to underpin the ongoing reporting of hospital performance indicators on the website
- Work closely with the ACSQHC, the National Health Performance Authority, the NHISSC and other stakeholders to align hospital performance reporting
- Work with private hospitals and their representative organisations to increase participation by private hospitals in the AIHW's data collections and to expand the range of data they report on the MyHospitals website
| Performance in planned statistical and reporting deliverables |
| Publish data on the MyHospitals website for: |
|
| – hand hygiene, audit period 3, 2011 and audit period 1, 2012 |
Achieved |
| – cancer services, 2009–10 and 2010–11 |
Achieved |
| – cancer waiting times, 2010–11 |
Achieved |
| – unplanned hospital readmissions, 2010–11 |
Work in progress
To be published by the National Health Performance Authority |
Performance in planned data development activities
- Continued the development of new public and private hospital peer group classification
- Contributed to the development of unplanned readmission specifications for core hospital-based outcome indicators for the ACSQHC and the reporting under the National Healthcare Agreement
Additional projects
- Prepared national coefficients and reference data for core hospital-based outcome indicators for the ACSQHC
Committees
- MyHospitals Development Steering Committee: Support to AIHW members of this committee that reports to AHMAC and health ministers; the committee is co-chaired by the AIHW Director and Ms Kerry Flanagan (DoHA)
- Cancer Services Working Group: Secretariat to this working group of the MyHospitals Development Steering Committee, which is chaired by the AIHW
- Hospitals Readmissions Working Group: Secretariat to this working group of the MyHospitals Development Steering Committee, which is chaired by the AIHW
Data collections managed
- Hand Hygiene Audit Data Collection
- Cancer Treatment Services Data Collection
Hospitals Data Unit
Unit head
Mr George Bodilsen
What we do
The Hospitals Data Unit is the custodian of the AIHW's national hospitals databases. The unit is responsible for their collation and maintenance, as well as improving data quality and timeliness, such as by managing the online hospitals data Validata™. The unit undertakes hospitals data development, with a focus on establishment-level data. It also provides support for use of hospitals data by AIHW staff and staff in collaborating units. Additionally, the unit is responsible for developing, collating and reporting on AIHW's data on medical indemnity claims.
Objectives
- Further develop processes to support earlier receipt, preparation and validation of hospital data
- Receive and validate data provided under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services
- Continue to develop national data and statistical outputs on medical indemnity claims, informed by the recent review of this activity
- Support the use of AIHW hospitals data by staff of the AIHW and its collaborating units
Performance in planned data development activities
- Continued to improve the processes for receipt and validation of hospitals data, particularly through improvements in the hospitals validator
- Produced a draft data set specification for private hospital establishments
- Undertook data development for the new ABS geographical classification as it applies to data elements in the hospitals databases
Additional projects
- Undertook a project for DoHA to receive, validate and report on quarterly elective surgery and emergency department data provided by states and territories under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services
- Developed data quality statements for hospital-related data reporting
Committees
- Medical Indemnity Data Working Group: Secretariat for and member of this working group of the National Health Information Standards and Statistics Committee; the working group is chaired by Ms Michele Murphy (NSW Health)
- Medical Indemnity National Collection Coordinating Committee: Secretariat for and member of this AIHW advisory committee, with Mr Julien Wicks (DoHA) as the acting chair
Data collections managed
- National Hospital Morbidity Database
- National Public Hospital Establishments Database
- National Elective Surgery Waiting Times Data Collections (Removals and Census)
- National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database
- National Outpatient Care Database
- Medical Indemnity National Collection
Hospitals Information Improvement Unit
Unit head
Ms Cheryl Harkins (to January 2012)
Vacant (from February 2012 to May 2012)
Ms Jodee Njeru (acting from June 2012)
What we do
The Hospitals Information Improvement Unit undertakes development for hospital data, focusing on admitted patients and elective surgery waiting times, and works in partnership with the ACSQHC on its information strategy projects. The unit is the AIHW's focal point for health classifications, such as the International Classification of Diseases, contributing to national and international classification development and providing a source of expert advice for staff working with classifications and coded data.
Objectives
- Review national definitions of urgency categories for elective surgery, working with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
- Work with the ACSQHC on their information strategy projects
- Support the use and development of national and international health classifications in the AIHW
- Improve the quality of admitted patient care data and analysis through metadata improvements
| Performance in planned statistical and reporting deliverables |
| Publish a report on OECD health care quality indicators in Australia: results and appropriateness of their use |
Work in progress
To be published in 2012–13 |
| Trial core hospital-based outcome indicators for private hospitals |
Achieved |
Performance in planned data development activities
- Contributed to external national data and information infrastructure development including through representing the AIHW on relevant national information committees
- Contributed to the development of core hospital-based outcome indicator specifications, for the ACSQHC
- Contributed to international classification activities
- Organised an event to launch the WHO's consultation on the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, in Australia
Committees
- Australian Collaborating Centre for the WHO Family of International Classifications: Secretariat for this centre, chaired by the AIHW
- Council of the WHO Family of International Classifications' Network of Collaberating Centres: AIHW / Australian representative on this council co-chaired by Dr Stephanie Weber (german centre) and Dr Lars Berg (Nordic Centre)
Hospitals Reporting Unit
Unit head
Ms Katrina Burgess
What we do
The Hospitals Reporting Unit is responsible for statistical reporting on hospitals, including preparation of the Australian hospital statistics suite of products and the data component of the MyHospitals website. The unit also prepares hospital performance indicators for reporting under the National Healthcare Agreement and the SCRGSP's Report on government services.
Objectives
- Continue to liaise with stakeholders to ensure the ongoing development and policy relevance of the Australian hospital statistics suite of products
- Continue to produce data for the MyHospitals website in order to improve the availability of hospitals information
Additional projects
- Expanded information on surgery in the Australian hospital statistics suite of products
Committees
- Australian Hospital Statistics Advisory Committee: Secretariat for this AIHW advisory committee chaired by the AIHW
Data collections managed
- Supplementary Private Hospitals Data Collection (for the MyHospitals website)