Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check Initiative: follow-up services for oral and ear health: final report, 2007-2012
This is the final report for dental, audiology, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) services funded by the Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check Initiative Closing the Gap program.More than 17,000 dental and 9,000 audiology services were provided between August 2007 and June 2012, and about 6,000 ENT services between August 2007 and December 2010. The majority of children who received a referral at their Child Health Check received the referred service, with follow-up rates of 94% for dental referrals, nearly 100% for audiology referrals and 97% for ENT referrals.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification in community services data collections: an updated data quality report
This report examines the identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients in a number of Australian Institute of Health and Welfare community services data collections, by analysing where Indigenous status is missing/not stated. It makes a number of recommendations, including that data collection manuals and training materials reflect the National best practice guidelines for collecting Indigenous status in health data sets. Where necessary, jurisdictions should consider modifying client forms and client information management systems to ensure consistency with these guidelines.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services report, 2010-11: OATSIH services reporting - key results
This is the third national report on health services provided by Aboriginal community controlled and non-community controlled health organisations, and funded by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. In 2010-11:- primary health care services provided 2.5 million episodes of care to about 428,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, a 4% increase from 2009-10- substance use services provided treatment and assistance to about 28,600 clients, a 9% increase from 2009-10- Bringing Them Home and Link Up counselling services were accessed by about 11,800 clients, an increase of about 10% from 2009-10.
An enhanced mortality database for estimating Indigenous life expectancy: a feasibility study
The aim of an enhanced mortality database for estimating Indigenous life expectancy, a feasibility study is to improve reporting of information on Indigenous deaths by linking death registrations data with several additional data sets that contain information on Indigenous deaths. Linkage of registered deaths data to the additional data sets identified 10.2 per cent more deaths that were not identified as Indigenous on the registered deaths data set. The enhanced data also showed that expectation of life at birth for Indigenous Australians over the period 2001-2006 was 66.6 years for males and 72.7 years for females. This report shows that data linkage is an effective tool for improving estimates of mortality and life expectancy for Indigenous Australians.
National best practice guidelines for data linkage activities relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: 2012
In 2008, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to a set of targets for 'Closing the Gap' in disadvantage between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians. Currently, progress is difficult to measure accurately because Indigenous status is either missing or inconsistently reported across data sets. To ensure a consistent approach to dealing with Indigenous status reporting, COAG directed the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to develop national best practice guidelines for linking data related to Indigenous people. This report offers guidance on how to derive Indigenous status when it is missing or inconsistently reported, in a way that protects privacy and individuals' right to self-identification.
Dental health of Indigenous children in the Northern Territory: progress of the Closing the Gap Child Oral Health Program
This Bulletin presents information on the oral health status of Indigenous children who received dental services under the Northern Territory Closing the Gap Child Oral Health Program. Between August 2007 and December 2011 more than 8,000 children were provided with over 14,000 dental services through the program. About 56% of children who received a dental service were treated for at least one oral health problem. The most commonly treated problem was dental caries (52%). Of the children who received a dental service over a 6 month period between 1 January and 30 June 2011, 82% had a dental caries experience with an average of 4.5 caries per child.Analysis of a sample of children who received more than one dental service showed that about 60% of children who received treatment for dental caries at their first dental service did not require treatment for the same condition at their most recent dental service, highlighting an improvement in their oral health status.
Projections of the incidence of treated end-stage kidney disease among Indigenous Australians, 2009-2020: a working paper with preliminary results
The focus of this working paper is the incidence (number of new cases) of end-stage kidney disease treated with dialysis or transplant (hereafter referred to as treated ESKD), as these treatments are extremely resource intensive. Further, reliable data on the incidence and prevalence of treated ESKD are available from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA), which compiles data from all renal units in Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: Queensland
This report contains detailed analyses against indicators in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (the HPF) for Queensland.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: New South Wales
This report contains detailed analyses against indicators in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (the HPF) for New South Wales.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: Northern Territory
This report contains detailed analyses against indicators in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (the HPF) for Northern Territory.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: Western Australia
This report contains detailed analyses against indicators in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (the HPF) for Western Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: Victoria
This report contains detailed analyses against indicators in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (the HPF) for Victoria.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: South Australia
This report contains detailed analyses against indicators in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (the HPF) for South Australia.
Ear and hearing health of Indigenous children in the Northern Territory
This report presents findings from the audiology and Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) follow-up services provided to children in prescribed areas of the Northern Territory as part of the Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory National Partnership Agreement. Between August 2007 and May 2011, 7,421 audiology and 3,838 ENT services were provided to 4,993 and 2,670 children respectively. About 66% were diagnosed with at least one type of middle ear condition, and of children who were tested, 11% had moderate, severe or profound hearing impairment.
Expenditure on health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2008-09: an analysis by remoteness and disease
In 2008-09, health expenditure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people varied across remoteness areas, service types and disease groupings. The greatest difference in expenditure between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians was in Remote and very remote areas where, for every dollar spent per non-Indigenous Australian, $2.41 was spent per Indigenous Australian. Expenditure on genitourinary diseases, and mental and behavioural disorders, accounted for the highest proportions of admitted patient expenditure for Indigenous Australians (11% and 10% respectively). Additional analysis has been undertaken in the 2008-09 report to include expenditure on potentially preventable hospitalisations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services report 2009-10: OATSIH Services Reporting - key results
In 2009-10, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander: primary health care services provided 2.4 million episodes of health care to about 456,000 clients, a 14% increase in episodes of care, and a 22% increase in the number of clients reported compared with 2008-09. substance use services provided treatment and assistance to about 26,300 clients, an increase of 14% compared with 2008-09. Bringing Them Home and Link Up services provided counselling to about 10,700 clients, an increase of about 27% compared with 2008-09.
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.
Chronic kidney disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
This report presents the first detailed analysis of chronic kidney disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how it compares to non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australians have a greater burden of disease for many health conditions, and chronic kidney disease is no exception. Indigenous Australians were found to be more likely to have end-stage kidney disease, and be hospitalised or die with chronic kidney disease than non-Indigenous Australians.
Expenditure on health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2008-09
In 2008-09, total health expenditure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was estimated at $3,700 million. The average health expenditure per person for Indigenous Australians was $6,787, compared with $4,876 for each non-Indigenous Australian. Correspondingly, the Indigenous to non-Indigenous per person health expenditure ratio was 1.39. This report, the sixth in the series, again shows that Indigenous Australians are more likely than non-Indigenous Australians to rely on public hospital services. In 2008-09, per person expenditure on public hospital services for Indigenous Australians was more than double that for non-Indigenous Australians - an expenditure ratio of 2.25.
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.
Housing and homelessness services: access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
The rate of homelessness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is four times that of non-Indigenous Australians. Homeless Indigenous Australians were almost twice as likely to sleep rough, or in improvised dwellings and shelters, than non-Indigenous Australians. The rate of home ownership for Indigenous households was about a third compared to two-thirds for non-Indigenous households. Indigenous households were ten times more likely to be living in overcrowded conditions compared to non-Indigenous households.
Contribution of chronic disease to the gap in mortality between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians
Chronic diseases are major contributors to the mortality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians. About 80% of the mortality gap for people aged 35 to 74 years is due to chronic diseases, measured in terms of potential years of life lost. The major contributors are heart diseases, diabetes, liver diseases, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular diseases and cancer.
Life expectancy and mortality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Indigenous Australians experience much higher death rates than the non-Indigenous Australians across all age groups and for all major causes of death. In 2004-2008, the age-standardised death rate for Indigenous males was 1.9 times the rate for non-Indigenous males while for Indigenous females it was 2 times the rate of non-Indigenous females. Indigenous life expectancy for 2005-07 was estimated to be 67.2 years for males, 11.5 years lower than for non-Indigenous males, and 72.9 years for females, which was 9.7 years lower than for non-Indigenous females.
Eye health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Over the age of 40 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have 6 times the rate of blindness of other Australians. 94% of vision loss in Indigenous Australians is preventable or treatable. The most common cause of blindness in Indigenous adults was cataract (32%).This paper summarises the findings of the 2008 National Indigenous Eye Health Survey (NIEHS). It reports the overall prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5 to 15 years and adults over the age of 40 years. The paper also presents some data from the National Trachoma Surveillance and Reporting Unit, Medicare, hospital data and case studies.
Comparing life expectancy of indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States: conceptual, methodological and data issues
Numerous studies have indicated that the gap between indigenous and non indigenous people's life expectancy in Australia is greater than in New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America (USA). However, difficulties related to concepts, data and methods behind such estimates throw doubt on conclusions drawn from country comparison studies. This report suggests that the uncertainty associated with indigenous life expectancy estimates could be quite large. Consequently, it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding cross-country differences.