Primary health care

Primary health care encompasses a broad range of professions and services. Some of these include:

• General practice 
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations 
• community health centres and walk-in clinics 
• community pharmacies 
• community nursing services 
• oral health and dental services 
• mental health services 
• drug and alcohol treatment services 
• sexual and reproductive health services 
• maternal and child health services 
• allied health services, such as psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors and others.

Primary health care is an important component of Australia’s health care system, but the availability of primary health care data remains limited. Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and the general practice professional community increasingly use general practice information to improve health outcomes at the point of care. However, there is currently no comprehensive, national primary health care data collection for other uses, such as for population health planning. Nationally consistent primary health care data is a known information gap for effective population health research, policy, and planning.  

The AIHW is working with primary health care partners on data and reporting improvement in the primary health care sector through various initiatives – see Developing a National Primary Health Care Data Collection.

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