Primary health care Data development

Data development

AIHW received funding in the May 2018 Federal Budget to develop processes for the governance, standardisation, collection, analysis and reporting of primary health care data within Australia. This work program supports the collection of data from primary health care settings to form a National Primary Health Care Data Collection (the Data Collection), formerly referred to as the ‘Primary Health Care Data Asset’.

The Data Collection will fill a long-standing information gap in relation to primary health care data for population health monitoring, research, policy, and planning. Primary health care is the entry level to the health system and, as such, is usually a person’s first encounter with the health system.

The vision for and value of the Data Collection is that it will:

fill existing data and information gaps relating to primary health care;
be an accessible and value-added source of information for policy makers, researchers and the public, and support the evidence base underpinning research and policy, including primary health care reform;
be enduring, secure, protective of data integrity, and include coherent and relevant analytical and reporting outputs that are underpinned by transparent data governance and standards;
enable data linkage, analysis and outcome reporting and be inclusive and reflective of the breadth of primary health care data and practice.

The initial scope of the Data Collection will be the collection, analysis and reporting of general practice data, with a view to develop and incorporate broader primary health care data, including nursing and allied health, into the collection as soon as practicable.

Importantly, the Data Collection will not attempt to duplicate existing data collection and reporting or compete with established governance arrangements. It will be built on existing frameworks and infrastructure, data sources and governance processes, and will align with existing standards to ensure comparability and interoperability.

The AIHW commenced the project with an extensive Consultation Phase in 2018–20 and is currently in the Development Phase of the project (see below sections for further information).

Consultation phase Expand

In 2018–20, AIHW undertook a national consultation process seeking input into the scope and use of the National Primary Health Care Data Collection (then Asset), and laying the foundation for the Development Phase. This initial consultation phase included a series of consultation workshops in all state and territory capital cities and an online submission process, which concluded in the first half of 2019. The AIHW published a Consultation Report (PDF 930kB) which summarised the feedback received during this process, identified the key issues raised and outlined the next steps in developing the Data Collection.

During this time, the AIHW also partnered with the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) to promote consumer awareness and confidence in the Data Collection. Two live webinar panels were run in late 2019, as a means of gauging consumer knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about key issues such as privacy and consent and the development and benefits of the Data Asset more broadly. The recorded webinars are available online – Our Data Our Health – Webinar October 2019 and Webinar November 2019.

In late 2020, AIHW convened a discussion on a nationally coordinated approach to developing the Primary Health Care Data Collection. Attendees included three AIHW advisory committees (Primary Health Care Data Development Expert Advisory Group, Strategic Committee for National Health Information and the Primary Healthcare Advisory Committee), Commonwealth, state and territory health department representatives and invited guests.

In addition to the formal consultation process, the AIHW has continued to engage in active discussion with a broad range of stakeholders; including clinicians, PHNs, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and its state-based affiliates, vendors and extractors of practice management systems, peak bodies, and allied health researchers.

Primary health care

Data development

Primary Health Care Data Development

AIHW

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