Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 Outcomes Framework: First annual report

Poorer health experiences among people with disability can be due to inadequate access to health care or the provision of inadequate care. Health care issues can include access to health services; the appropriateness of equipment, training or facilities; the operation of health systems and processes; and health care worker attitudes (Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031).

Ensuring that health service providers have the capabilities to meet the needs of people with disability is essential to attaining the highest possible health and wellbeing outcomes for people with disability.

Unmet hospitalisation needs

A key system outcome of the Strategy is that hospitals provide high-quality and suitable services to people with disability. Currently, a transitional measure on unmet need for hospital admission is being reported.

Results at baseline: 2018

• In 2018, 1 in 10 (10%) people with disability, of all ages, who needed to go to hospital in the previous 12 months, reported an unmet need for hospital admission.
• From 2012 to 2018, there was no real change in the proportion of people with disability who reported an unmet need for hospital admission, which ranged between 10.4% (in 2018) and 11.5% (in 2015) (Figure 7.1). For people with disability aged 65 and over, the proportion was lower in 2018 (3.7%) than in 2012 (5.6%).
• In 2018, a higher proportion of females than males with disability reported an unmet need for hospital admission (12% and 9.0%, respectively).
• People with disability aged 25–44 had the highest proportion of reported unmet need for hospital admission (24%), while those aged 65 and over had the lowest (3.7%).
• People with severe or profound disability were more likely to report unmet need for hospitalisation than people with other disability (13% and 8.7%, respectively).

Latest results

Updated data are not yet available for this measure. New data from 2022 ABS SDAC are expected to be available in the first half of 2024 and included in the 2024 annual report.

Things to consider when interpreting results

• Data are restricted to people with disability living in households who needed to go to hospital in the last 12 months. Those who did not know if they had an unmet need for hospital admission are excluded.

For the latest data and breakdowns of the data, see Australia’s Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework | Unmet hospitalisation needs.

Self-reported health

Self-assessed health status is a commonly used measure of overall health and reflects a person’s perception of their own health at a given point. It also provides a broad picture of a population’s overall health. It has some limitations, including being influenced by factors such as a person’s access to health services (for example, to diagnosis and treatment) and level of education (AIHW 2022).

The desired population outcome for this measure is that the gap between the proportion of adults with disability and those without disability who report they are in good health is reduced.

Pre-baseline results: 2017–18

• In 2017–18, almost 7 in 10 (69%) people with disability aged 15 and over reported excellent, very good or good health compared with over 9 in 10 (94%) people without disability. This was a difference of 25 percentage points.
• From 2011–12 to 2017–18, there was no real change in the proportion for either people with disability, people without disability, or the difference between them (Figure 7.2). For people with disability, the proportion ranged from 69% (in 2017–18) to 70% (in 2011–12). For people without disability, it ranged from 93.8% (in 2011–12) to 94.3% (in 2017–18). The difference ranged from 24 to 25 percentage points.
• Males and females with disability reported similar proportions of excellent, very good or good health (70% and 68%, respectively). However, the difference between males with and without disability was smaller than the difference between females with and without disability (24 and 27 percentage points, respectively).
• The difference between people with and without disability who reported excellent, very good or good health was larger in the older age groups – 45–64 years and 65 years and over (28 and 27 percentage points, respectively) – than in younger age groups – 15–24 years and 25–44 years (16 and 20 percentage points, respectively).
• In 2017–18, people with severe or profound disability were considerably less likely (40%) than those with other disability (73%) to report excellent, very good or good health.

Results at baseline

New data from the 2020–21 ABS NHS will be included in the 2023 annual report.

Things to consider when interpreting results

• The ABS NHS collects data from people in private dwellings and does not include people living in institutional settings, such as aged care facilities.
• The ABS NHS uses the Short Disability Module to identify people with a ‘disability or restrictive long-term health condition’. See also Data sources: ABS NHS.

For the latest data and breakdowns of the data, see Australia’s Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework | Self-reported health.

References

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2022) ‘Health status’, People with disability in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 15 August 2022.

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 (2021), Department of Social Services, Australian Government, accessed 15 August 2022.