Health of refugees and humanitarian entrants in Australia

Broad type of service (BTOS) refers to a grouping of MBS services that relate to certain provider groups or services (see Technical notes for more detail).

When age-standardised rates of health service use (number of services used per 1,000 people) in 2021 were compared across the population groups:

• GP attendances were around 40% higher for humanitarian entrants compared with the rest of the Australian population (8,600 services per 1,000 people and 6,000 per 1,000 people, respectively).
• Pathology services were almost 20% higher for humanitarian entrants compared with the rest of the Australian population (7,700 services per 1,000 people and 6,200 per 1,000 people, respectively).
• Specialist attendances were almost 25% lower for humanitarian entrants compared with the rest of the Australian population (790 services per 1,000 people and 1,100 per 1,000 people, respectively).
• Optometry services were around 14% lower for humanitarian entrants compared with the rest of the Australian population (270 services per 1,000 people and 315 per 1,000 people, respectively) (Figure 2.1).

Of the humanitarian entrant population, in 2021:

• almost 9 in 10 (89%) had a GP consultation
• 1 in 3 (33%) had a specialist attendance
• 7 in 10 (70%) had a pathology service
• almost 1 in 5 (19%) had an optometry service.

The higher rates of health service use among humanitarian entrants could be due to a number of factors such as refugee health services and health programs facilitating access to primary health care services such as GP and specialist health care for humanitarian entrants, and the health needs of the population.  For more information see Overview: Health services used by humanitarian entrants. A better understanding of the factors that impact on the use of health services can provide further insights into the rates of health service use in this population.

Figure 2.1: Service use by broad type of service by population cohort, 2021

Health service use by time since arrival in Australia

Across most service types, the rates of service use were higher for humanitarian entrants who arrived less than 5 years ago (arrival in 2017–2020) than those who arrived 5–10 years ago (2011–2016) and for those who arrived more than 10 years ago (2000–2010) (Figure 2.2).

In 2021, compared with humanitarian entrants who arrived more than 10 years ago, humanitarian entrants who arrived less than 5 years ago had:

• 27% higher rates of specialist attendances after standardising for age (1,000 services per 1,000 people compared with 800 per 1,000 people)
• 21% higher rates of pathology services after standardising for age (8,600 services per 1,000 people compared with 7,100 per 1,000 people) (Figure 2.2)

For pathology services, the age adjusted rate for those who arrived more than 10 years ago was similar to the rest of Australia population (6,900 services per 1,000 people). 

Figure 2.2 also shows the proportion of the population who had a service in 2021 in each BTOS by time since arrival in Australia. Despite the differences in rates of specialist attendances and GP attendances for the humanitarian entrant cohort by time since arrival, in 2021 the proportion of the population accessing at least one service was 2 percentage points lower in those who arrived more than 10 years ago (88% for GP attendances and 22% for specialist attendances) when compared with those who arrived in the last 5 years (90% for GP attendances and 24% for specialist attendances) for both service types

Factors such as differences in the health status and the health needs of the cohorts who arrived in the different time periods can impact on the use of health services. Undertaking longitudinal analysis to examine the use of health services by humanitarian entrants from arrival in Australia can fill a gap in our knowledge of the changes in the level of health service use over time and inform the planning and delivery of health services in the short-term and longer-term.  

For more information about reporting by time since arrival in Australia see Data sources and methods.

Figure 2.2: Service use by broad type of service for humanitarian entrants by time since arrival in Australia, 2021

Health service use by country of birth

Due to small numbers, age-standardisation of rates is only possible for limited countries of birth. Data is only presented for the top 5 countries of birth of the humanitarian entrant population (Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria) (Figure 2.3).

After standardising for age, the rates of health service use in humanitarian entrants for the top 5 countries of birth of humanitarian entrants were:

• highest for those born in Iraq for diagnostic imaging (1,600 services per 1,000 people), other allied health (820 per 1,000 people) and pathology (10,500 per 1,000 people) services
• lowest for those born in Myanmar for diagnostic imaging (750 services per 1,000 people), other allied health (270 per 1,000 people) and pathology (5,300 per 1,000 people) services.

The rates of health service use were lower among humanitarian entrants born in Myanmar and Sudan compared with other permanent migrants born in the same countries across most BTOS. In comparison, the rates of health service use among humanitarian entrants born in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria were similar or higher than other permanent migrants.

 For more information about reporting by country of birth see Data sources and methods.

Figure 2.3: Service use for selected broad types of service by country of birth and population cohort, 2021

For all data on health service use for humanitarian entrants and other permanent migrants by other countries of birth see supplementary data table S1.4.

References

Person-Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA), 2021, PLIDA Modular Product, ABS DataLab. Findings based on use of PLIDA data.