3.5 Information and Statistics Group

Group head

Ms Teresa Dickinson

What we do

The Information and Statistics Group is responsible for supporting the statistical excellence of the AIHW through metadata and information management services, statistical quality assurance work, the support and conduct of advanced statistical research, and the continual improvement of the AIHW's statistical infrastructure, including classifications and standards.

The group also publishes policy-relevant statistical information about the financial and human resources used in health and welfare. Expenditure is analysed in a number of ways, including by state, by funding source and for different groups, such as Indigenous Australians. The group manages the statistical reuse of information from the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health professionals, as well as providing other information relating to the workforce in health and community services occupations and industries in Australia.

The group has worked towards accreditation as an integrating authority for the integration of Commonwealth data to enable it to operate a Data Integration Services Centre. The centre will undertake data linkage work for researchers, both internal and external to the AIHW, to support a wide variety of innovative analyses about the health and welfare of Australians, such as longitudinal analysis and movements between health and welfare services. This will increase the value of individual data sets.

Major achievements

During 2011–12, major achievements of the group were:

• completing all requirements and achieving accreditation as an integrating authority at the end of June 2012
• expanding internal data linkage capability and forging links with the Population Health Research Network
• upgrading METeOR to enable its use as a metadata store and register, and providing training to internal staff and external agencies (government and non-government) on the use of technology in METeOR
• progressed the development of data quality statements for all data supplied by the AIHW
• working with national information committees and other AIHW units on major metadata and standards projects related to hospitals, mental health and radiotherapy waiting times.

Units in this group

• Data Integration Services Centre
• Data Linkage
• Expenditure and Economics
• Labour Force
• METeOR and Metadata

During the year a number of structural changes were made to the Information and Statistics Group:

• the Data Integration Services Centre was created in September 2011
• a Geography Unit was created in September 2011, but was integrated into the METeOR and Metadata Unit in June 2012.

Data Integration Services Centre

Unit head

Mr Warren Richter (from September 2011 to March 2012)
Associate Professor James Boyd (from March 2012 to June 2012)
Mr Tenniel Guiver (from June 2012)

What we do

The Data Integration Services Centre provides the infrastructure to support the AIHW's data integration (also known as data linkage) work. It works closely with the AIHW Data Linkage Unit to ensure that processes and infrastructure to support data custodians and researchers in undertaking data integration are efficient and provide researchers with access to linked data in accordance with privacy obligations. The unit is the main point of contact with the wider national and international data linkage communities. The centre manages AIHW's membership of the Population Health Research Network (PHRN) and is responsible for maintaining the AIHW's accreditation by the Commonwealth as a Data Integration Authority.

Objectives

• Maintain accreditation as an integrating authority under the guidelines defined for data integration involving Commonwealth data for statistical and research purposes
• Complete the physical and IT separation of the AIHW integrating authority from the mainstream AIHW infrastructure, to demonstrate the AIHW's strong privacy protections
• Enhance the operations of the Data Integration Services Centre to undertake high-risk, complex data integration projects and provide the capacity to meet researchers' needs
• Refine the governance process and protocols for data integration involving Commonwealth data
• Develop efficient, best practice data integration operations that improve the availability and use of data while maintaining protection of individuals' privacy
• Undertake collaborative work on data linkage methodology with PHRN nodes

Performance in planned development activities

• Developed, set up and documented governance procedures and structures for operation of the Data Integration Services Centre
• Endorsed as an accredited integrating authority under the interim Commonwealth arrangements
• Established secure IT infrastructure to support data integration activity, including high-risk data integration projects involving Commonwealth data
• Established a secure physical environment with enhanced security to securely undertake data integration
• Developed operating procedures for data linkage operations consistent with the high-level principles for data integration involving Commonwealth data for statistical and research purposes, including protocols for the creation, analysis and protection of linked data
• Acted as the AIHW's contact point with national and international data linkage researchers and contributed to national developments on data linkage

Committees

• Population Health Research Network Operations Committee: Member of this committee that advises the PHRN Management Council and is chaired by Professor Louisa Jorm (Sax Institute)
• Population Health Research Proof of Concept Reference Group: Member of this group that reports to the PHRN Management Council and is chaired by Ms Diana Rosman (WA Department
  of Health)
• Population Health Research Network Ethics, Privacy and Consumer Engagement Advisory Group: Support to the AIHW member of this Population Health Research Network Management Council group chaired by Mr Andrew Stanley (SA-NT DataLink)

Data Linkage Unit

Unit head

Dr Phil Anderson

What we do

The Data Linkage Unit facilitates the development and analysis of person-centred (rather than program-centred) data to support whole-of-government and whole-of-life approaches to policy. The unit achieves this by investigating data linkage and analytical methods, undertaking data linkage and analyses of linked data sets, and providing leadership and assistance to analyses undertaken elsewhere in the AIHW, through close collaboration with subject matter staff.

The unit also undertakes record linkage with the National Death Index, the National Cancer Statistics Clearing House and other data to support internal and external linkage-based research projects. These projects have received approval from the AIHW Ethics Committee. All data linkage takes place within the strict ethical and privacy arrangements determined by the Director, AIHW and the AIHW Board and, where appropriate, in accordance with the principles for the integration of Commonwealth data.

Objectives

• Work with the Data Integration Services Centre to ensure the proper operation of that unit as an accredited integrating authority under the new guidelines on data integration involving Commonwealth data for statistical and research purposes
• Develop the AIHW's capacity to fill information gaps through the continued enhancement of data linkage and analytical methodologies
• Increase confidence in, and acceptance of, data linkage by explaining its benefits and publicising the AIHW's strong privacy protections
• Develop better ways of presenting key findings from linked data and integrating the findings with other statistical analyses in AIHW reports
• Enhance methods and systems to create the data sets required for the AIHW's expanded program of linkage-based statistical analysis and research
• Support the production of those COAG performance indicators to be derived from linked data views of Australians' health and welfare, by undertaking and supporting analyses of linked data

Performance in planned data development activities

• Provided ongoing support for the creation and analyses of linked data by other AIHW units
• Provided linked data sets and advice on their use that support statistical analyses by other AIHW units on an ongoing basis
• Undertook collaborative work on data linkage methodology with Population Health Research Network nodes
• Undertook data linkage to enhance Indigenous identification in mortality and other data
• Undertook statistical development and research on dementia
• Provided data and analysis on the use of aged care services
• Continued development of specific linkage-based COAG performance indicators
• Provided ongoing support for linkage-based analyses by academic and other external researchers
• Undertook data linkage work that responds to the needs of external stakeholders
• Made recommendations about opportunities and directions, and national and jurisdictional capacity, for cross-program and cross-sectoral data linkage in the community services sector, and between that sector and other sectors
• Enhanced and expanded methods for the linkage of large data sets for external researchers, particularly for the National Death Index and Australian Cancer Database
• Completed the development of a flexible system for data linkage using statistical linkage keys and the AIHW's stepwise deterministic method
• In preparation for the AIHW assuming the role of an integrating authority under the new guidelines for data integration involving Commonwealth data for statistical and research purposes:
  • reviewed AIHW protocols for the creation, analysis and protection of linked data
  • prepared an application for accreditation of the AIHW
  • developed an IT system
  • enhanced physical security
  • developed, set up and documented governance procedures and structures

Committees

• Integrating Authorities Working Group: Member of this working group of the Health Policy Priorities Principal Committee, chaired by DoHA
• Cross Portfolio Statistical Integration Committee Working Group: Member of this committee chaired by the ABS

Data collections managed

• AIHW Data Catalogue (internal to the AIHW)
• National Death Index

Expenditure and Economics Unit

Unit head

Ms Gail Brien (to May 2012)
Dr Adrian Webster (from May 2012)

What we do

The Expenditure and Economics Unit develops, collates and reports information on expenditure relating to the provision of specific types of health and welfare services, and expenditure by disease. The unit also undertakes other economic analysis work relevant to health and welfare.

Objectives

• Continue to make expenditure data more accessible, more relevant to policy and more timely. In particular, this involves providing expenditure data to support the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations' performance indicator reporting process
• Finalise the redevelopment of the health expenditure database to improve the efficiency and timeliness of the collation, processing, editing and output of expenditure data
• Continue improving the methodology used for estimating expenditure statistics, in particular for Indigenous people and, subject to available resources, welfare expenditure
• Grow the AIHW's capacity to provide information on disease expenditure, subject to available resources

Performance in planned data development activities

• Continued to improve the timeliness of health expenditure estimates that are required for National Healthcare Agreement reporting
• Completed redevelopment of the health expenditure database
• Provided ongoing assistance and advice to relevant government departments about the development of data and collection systems that facilitate national expenditure reporting
• Provided ongoing advice to the Productivity Commission on its Indigenous expenditure reporting
• Continued to contribute to the expenditure data development and reporting work of the WHO and the OECD
• Developed a new methodology for attributing aged care expenditure to disease categories, initially in relation to dementia

Additional projects

• Provided secretariat functions for the review of public health expenditure data

Committees

• Health Expenditure Advisory Committee: Chair and secretariat for this committee
• Public Health Expenditure Technical Advisory Group: Secretariat for and member of this advisory group chaired by Ms Robyn Clark (Queensland Health)
• Indigenous Health Expenditure Technical Advisory Group: Secretariat for and joint chair with Mr John Maxwell (DoHA)
• Indigenous Expenditure Framework Steering Committee: Member of this committee chaired by Mr Robert Fitzgerald (Productivity Commission)

Data collections managed

• Health Expenditure Database
• Government Health Expenditure National Minimum Data Set Collection
• Public Health Expenditure Database
• Welfare Expenditure Database (if resources are made available)
• Indigenous Health Expenditure Database
• Disease Expenditure Database

Labour Force Unit

Unit head

Mr David Braddock (to January 2012)
Ms Vicki Bennett (from January 2012)

What we do

The Labour Force Unit provides information relating to the workforce in health and community services occupations and industries in Australia, drawing on a range of AIHW and external data sources. A major focus is the statistical reuse of information from the newly-established National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) for health professionals, and the collation of national data on health labour forces that culminates in the production of annual reports and online statistics.

Objectives

• Make labour force data more accessible, more relevant to policy and more timely. In particular, ensure that labour force data collation and reporting activities link to broader national health and community services workforce planning infrastructure and information needs
• Compile and publish information from the NRAS for health professionals, in consultation with stakeholders
• Produce a suite of new publications from the National Health Workforce Data Set, which report on all registered health professions
• Work to implement the COAG health workforce reforms and ensure that labour force outputs complement and contribute to the work of the Health Workforce Principal Committee of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council and Health Workforce Australia, including Health Workforce 2025 and other workforce planning projects

Performance in planned data development activities

• Submitted a Public Dental Waiting Lists National Minimum Data Set for endorsement

Additional projects

• Managed the relationship between the AIHW and the Dental Statistics Research Unit, an AIHW collaborating unit
• Managed new relationships between the AIHW and Health Workforce Australia, and between the AIHW and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority

Committees

• Workforce Planning and Research Advisory Committee: Member of this Health Workforce Australia group chaired by Mr Ian Crettenden (Health Workforce Australia)

Data collections managed

• National Health Workforce Data Set collections including:
  • nurses and midwives
  • medical practitioners
  • dental practitioners (dentists, dental hygienists, dental prosthetists and dental therapists)
  • pharmacists
  • physiotherapists
  • podiatrists
  • psychologists
  • optometrists
  • osteopaths
  • chiropractors

METeOR and Metadata Unit

Unit head

Ms Melanie Taylor (to March 2012)
Ms Tanya Wordsworth (acting from March 2012)

What we do

The METeOR and Metadata Unit works with data developers to improve the comparability, consistency, relevance and availability of national health, community services, early childhood education and care, and housing and homelessness information. The unit manages national data definitions and standards, which provide the national infrastructure for the gathering and analysis of information in these areas. It produces biennial editions of national data dictionaries for health, community services and housing assistance. The unit manages METeOR, an online metadata registry. The registry system enables the online creation and dissemination of shared data standards that are the basis of consistent, comparable and linkable data collections.

The unit changed its name from Metadata Information Services—METeOR and Metadata Unit in March 2012.

Objectives

• Ensure AIHW staff have access to high-quality advice and support on statistical approaches and methods to be used in collecting, analysing and reporting information and statistics
• Support ministerial committees by managing their metadata development and assessment work programs, and by providing expert assessment of the metadata developed for COAG performance frameworks
• Ensure the accessibility of up-to-date national data standards for the health, housing and homelessness, community services and early childhood, education and care sectors, including providing high-quality training, advice and support for users of METeOR technologies
• Provide effective data standard and metadata management technologies that are responsive to the changing needs of users and are up to date with emerging trends

Performance in planned data development activities

• Assessed metadata developed for COAG reporting, including data elements and performance indicators, and associated methods for providing performance indicator data for specific subpopulations
• Enhanced METeOR's capability as a repository for metadata
• Provided a helpdesk service for METeOR, and training workshops for users and stakeholders
• Enhanced production automation for a range of data dictionary products using emerging technologies
• Continued to develop facilities that enable the automated supply of electronic metadata to data collection, validation and cataloguing systems as well as other data standard registries
• Provided technical advice on metadata development for AIHW units undertaking and collating surveys and collections
• Participated in ongoing work associated with membership of Standards Australia's IT27 and the International Standards Association SC32 WG2 committees responsible for ISO 11179—the international standard for metadata registries—to help ensure that health information standards in Australia are consistent with international standards
• Undertook the development of new METeOR standards to support e-health reporting, including work on new identifier standards for health providers and clients and providing comments on work for Standards Australia's IT14 committee
• Investigated alternative options for a new platform for METeOR, which maintains the ISO standards for metadata registries, including scanning the marketplace based on a predefined set of requirements
• Managed the data development and evaluation work program and undertook related activities for the National Health Information Standards and Statistics Committee
• Managed the data standards work program, provided technical agenda papers and gave technical advice and support to organisations developing data standards for submission to the National Community Services Information Management Group
• Managed the data standards work program, provided technical agenda papers and provided technical advice and support to organisations developing data standards for submission to the Housing and Homelessness Information Management Group
• Supported external organisations in their linking to the AIHW's new electronic metadata transmission facility

Additional projects

• Early Childhood Data Sub Group: Provided support to organisations developing data standards for submission to this subgroup

Data collections managed

The unit manages metadata collections made available through the AIHW's METeOR website.

Spotlight

Meteoric win for the Institute

The AIHW's commitment to innovation and modernisation was recognised with a FutureGov 2011 award win for its METeOR Metadata Online Registry.

METeOR, a web-based system for managing, developing and storing data definitions and standards (metadata), won the Information Management category, which recognises 'excellence in the efficient capture, storage and distribution of citizen information'.

'We are very proud to have won this award because METeOR has brought real efficiencies to our business by revolutionising the way users develop, collaboratively review, submit, process and disseminate new data standards', said AIHW Director and CEO, David Kalisch.

The FutureGov awards are open to government, education and healthcare organisations and city administrations in Australasia, Asia and the Middle East. Over 800 entries are received each year.