Trends in palliative care in Australian hospitals
Trends in palliative care in Australian hospitals provides an overview of the nature and extent of palliative care separations in public and private hospitals across Australia for the 10-year period from 1999-00 to 2008-09. These separations may have occurred in a dedicated palliative care ward, a hospice or in other admitted patient beds in a hospital. The report indicates that there has been a substantial increase in the number of palliative care separations in admitted patient settings over time.
Asthma in Australia 2011: with a focus chapter on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Asthma is an important health problem in Australia. This report brings together data from a wide range of sources to describe the current status of asthma in Australia. It includes information on the number of people who have asthma and who visit their general practitioner, are hospitalised or die due to asthma. Time trends and profiles of people who receive various treatments for asthma are also presented, along with information on those who have written asthma action plans. In addition, comorbidities and quality of life among people with asthma are also investigated. This report also includes a chapter that focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases in Australians aged 55 years and over.
Mental health services in Australia
Mental health services in Australia is an online resource that provides a detailed picture of the characteristics and activities of Australia’s mental health services. Producing this report online enables the data to be published progressively as it becomes available.
Mental health services - in brief 2011
Mental health services - in brief 2011 provides an overview on the characteristics and activity of Australia's mental health services, the availability of mental health resources, and the changes that have occurred in these over time. It is designed to accompany the more comprehensive data on Australia's mental health services available online at http://mhsa.aihw.gov.au.
Mandatory folic acid and iodine fortification in Australia and New Zealand:supplement to the baseline report for monitoring
This supplement is a companion document to the Mandatory folic acid and iodine fortification in Australia and New Zealand: baseline report for monitoring.Additional or updated data are provided on:folic acid intake and supplement usage for children and pregnant womenNTD incidence ratesiodine intake and status for childreniodine status in regional and remote areas of the Northern Territory.
The health of Australia's prisoners 2010
The health of Australia's prisoners 2010 is the second report on indicators of prisoner health in Australia. The two-week snapshot showed that: almost 1 in 3 prison entrants had ever been told they have a mental health disorder and 1 in 5 prisoners in custody were taking medication for a mental health condition. More than 4 in 5 prison entrants currently smoked tobacco; over half reported drinking alcohol at risk levels; and 2 in 3 had used illicit drugs during the previous 12 months. Further, more than 1 in 3 prison entrants had not completed Year 10 at school; and 1 in 4 prison entrants had a chronic condition such as asthma, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The report also contains data relating to communicable diseases, deaths in custody, and the use of prison health services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010: detailed analyses
This report contains detailed analyses underlying the summary data presented in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF) is designed to provide the basis to monitor the impact of the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (NSFATSIH) and inform policy analyses, planning and program implementation. The HPF consists of 71 measures covering the tiers: health status and outcomes; determinants of health; and health systems performance.
Projections of the incidence of treated end-stage kidney disease in Australia, 2010-2020
This report presents projections of the incidence of end-stage kidney disease treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation (treated ESKD) for the period 2010 to 2020. This information is important for health service planning and resource allocation in the future. The projections are made by sex at national and state/territory levels, and for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients with diabetes when commencing treatment.The incidence of treated ESKD is projected to continue to rise over the next decade; increasing by nearly 80% between 2009 and 2020. The proportion of those commencing ESKD treatment with diabetes is also expected to increase, from 45% in 2009 to 64% in 2020.
Use of antiresorptive agents for osteoporosis management
There is no cure for osteoporosis but antiresorptive drugs can reduce further bone loss and slow down disease progression. This report provide information on both the individual and community use of antiresorptive drugs for managing osteoporosis as well as trends in the supply of and expenditure for these medications.
Population differences in health-care use for arthritis and osteoporosis in Australia
This report presents differences in health-care use for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis between population groups. The report suggests that, among those with osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, females are more likely to take actions to manage their condition and have a lower rate of joint replacement than males. The report also suggests that complimentary medicines that may slow the progression of these conditions are used at a lower rate in the lowest socioeconomic group compared to the highest socioeconomic group.
National breastfeeding indicators: workshop report
This report presents the outcomes of a consensus workshop held on 8 December 2010 in Canberra, regarding core national breastfeeding indicators to support the monitoring of the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 and related policies and programs.
End-stage kidney disease in Australia: total incidence, 2003-2007
The incidence of end-stage kidney disease is an important indicator of the health of the Australian population and valuable for healthcare planning. In the past we have been limited to counting only individuals treated with dialysis or transplant. However it is recognised that many people with end-stage kidney disease might not receive these treatments for a variety of reasons.This report presents a new method for counting the total incidence of end-stage kidney disease which also includes those not treated with dialysis or transplant. This method indicates that for every new case treated with dialysis or transplant there is one that is not, although the vast majority of these are elderly.
Key indicators of progress for chronic disease and associated determinants: data report
With preventive health now a major focus of health reform in Australia, this report provides information about the prevalence of those chronic diseases for which behavioural changes, or increased screening practices, can reduce onset, assist in management, or prevent death. The report contains current prevalence rates, and where possible, shows trends in chronic conditions over time.Statistics about the determinants of chronic disease assist in planning of prevention programs and strategies. When monitored over time, they may also help explain and predict any changes in chronic disease trends.
The health of Australia's males
Drawing on a wide range of data sources, this report provides a snapshot of the health of Australia's males. Examples of the report's detailed findings include: males born between 2007-2009 can expect to live 24 years longer than males born between 1901-1910;around two-thirds of adult males and one-quarter of boys are overweight or obese;nearly half have ever had a mental health condition; nearly one-quarter have a disability and nearly one-third have a chronic health condition; 16% of males do not use any Medicare services in a year.
Young Australians: their health and wellbeing 2011
This report is the fourth in a series of national statistical reports on young people aged 12-24 years, produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It provides the latest available information on how Australia's young people are faring according to a set of national indicators of health and wellbeing. Death rates have fallen considerably among young people, mainly due to declines in injury deaths. Most young people are achieving national minimum standards for reading, writing and numeracy, are fully engaged in study or work, and have strong support networks. There are some favourable trends in risk and protective factors, such as declines in smoking and illicit substance use. But it is not all good news. There is a high rate of mental disorders among young people, and road transport accidents, although continuing to decline, are still a major cause of death among young males. Too many young people are overweight or obese, are not doing sufficient physical activity or eating enough fruit and vegetables, and are drinking alcohol at risky levels. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are far more likely to be disadvantaged across a broad range of indicators.
Mandatory folic acid and iodine fortification in Australia and New Zealand: baseline report for monitoring
This report presents key baseline data for monitoring mandatory folic acid and iodine fortification in Australia and New Zealand. Data are presented for each component of the fortification monitoring frameworks as follows: food compositionfolic acid and iodine intakefolic acid and iodine status of the populations and health outcomes.
The use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs for the management of rheumatoid arthritis
Disease and modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are now considered first-line treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). When initiated early, they have been shown to alter the disease course and reduce joint erosion, reducing or preventing disability and improving quality of life.
Health and the environment: a compilation of evidence
There is increasing awareness that our health and the environment in which we live are closely linked. This report compiles evidence on the relationship between health and a selected list of environmental factors including `natural' features (such as temperature and ultraviolet radiation) and aspects of our surroundings which have been created by humans (such as housing and transport).The results of this compilation highlight that: our surroundings can influence our physical health and mental wellbeing through a variety of channelshealth and wellbeing may be affected in both positive and negative wayshumans, through their intervention in the environment, can play a vital role in exacerbating or reducing health risks.As the pathways involved can be indirect and complex, this report also examines some of the difficulties involved in assessing the broader relationship between health and the environment.
Time trends and geographical variation in re-admissions for asthma in Australia
Re-admissions for asthma can be considered an indicator of health system performance in relation to the management of patients with asthma. This bulletin examines the overall rate of re-admissions for asthmas in Australian and investigates time trends in re-admissions for asthmas as well as differences according to age, sex, socioeconomic status and remoteness of residence.
2009 Adult Vaccination Survey: summary results
The 2009 Adult Vaccination Survey forms part of the evaluations of two vaccine programs for older Australia. The first is the National Influenza Vaccination Program for Older Australians, which commenced in 1999; and the second is the National Pneumococcal Vaccination Program for Older Australians which commenced on 1 January 2005. The survey showed that in 2009, 74.6% (2.2 million) Australians aged 65 years or over were vaccinated against influenza. However, only 54.4% (1.6 million) older Australians were currently vaccinated against pneumococcal.
Premature mortality from chronic disease
This bulletin uses potential years of life lost to describe mortality patterns for deaths due to chronic disease. It shows that most premature deaths were due to chronic disease. The leading cause of premature mortality among females was breast cancer and among males it was coronary heart disease. Further, the bulletin highlights that a large proportion of premature chronic disease deaths were also potentially avoidable.
Use of health services for arthritis and osteoporosis
There is considerable variation in the type and extent of health services used and actions taken to manage the three conditions. While the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is primarily focused on reducing pain and slowing down disease progression, the focus in the case of osteoporosis is largely on containing its role as a risk factor for fractures and other associated complications.
Australia's mothers and babies 2008
In 2008, 292,156 women gave birth to 296,925 babies in Australia. The increase in births continued, with 2,720 more births (0.9%) than reported in 2007. This is the second year that the rate of caesarean section has not significantly increased with a 0.2% rise from 30.9% in 2007 to 31.1% in 2008.
Weight loss surgery in Australia
This report shows that there was a substantial increase in weight loss surgery in Australia, from approximately 500 separations in 1998-99 to 17,000 in 2007-08. In 2007-08, 90% of separations for weight loss surgery were in private hospitals, with private health insurance funding 82% of separations. In 2007-08, the estimated cost of hospital care for weight loss surgery was $108 million-approximately $15.2 million in benefits was paid through the Medicare Benefits Schedule for weight loss surgery-related procedures.
Electoral roll matching project
This brief report shows that it is feasible to access telephone listings for surveys by using the Australian electoral roll databases as a starting point. Around 52% of records sampled from the electoral rolls were matched with the Sensis MacroMatch service to append a current home or mobile telephone number.