Non-hospital specialist consultations
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This section specifically looks at Medicare-subsidised referred specialist attendances that have occurred in non-hospital settings, such as private consulting rooms and private outpatient clinics. Medicare-subsidised referred specialist attendances are included in the broad types of service (BTOS) specialist attendances group reported in Health service use by broad types of service on specialist attendances.
Most widely accessed specialties for non-hospital specialist consultations in 2021
There was variation in the most widely accessed specialties by each population group. Cardiology was the most widely used major specialty for humanitarian entrants (as a percentage of total specialist attendances in 2021). In other permanent migrants, it was obstetrics and gynaecology and for the rest of the Australian population it was ophthalmology.
For humanitarian entrants, gastroenterology and hepatology was the 5th most accessed major specialty (6.3% of total specialist consultations in 2021). This was higher than other permanent migrants where it was the 7th most accessed specialty, although with a similar percentage of total consultations (6.1%). For the rest of the Australian population, it was the 9th most accessed specialty (4.0% of total consultations) (Table 2.1).
| Rank | Humanitarian entrants | Other permanent migrants | Rest of the Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cardiology – 9.8% | Obstetrics and gynaecology –14.3% | Ophthalmology – 8.5% |
| 2. | Obstetrics and gynaecology – 9.4% | Psychiatry – 7.4% | Cardiology – 8.4% |
| 3. | Psychiatry – 7.3% | Cardiology – 6.9% | Psychiatry – 8.3% |
| 4. | Ophthalmology – 6.6% | General surgery – 6.4% | General surgery – 6.3% |
| 5. | Gastroenterology and hepatology – 6.3% | Endocrinology – 6.3% | Dermatology – 6.3% |
Note: Percentage is the proportion of the total non-hospital specialist consultations for the given specialty.
Source: AIHW analysis of PLIDA, 2021.
Rates of non-hospital specialist consultations by specialty
When age standardised rates of non-hospital specialist consultations were compared across the population groups (Figure 2.9):
- Humanitarian entrants had rates of cardiology consultations 1.6 times as high as other permanent migrants and 1.5 times as high as the rest of Australian population.
- Humanitarian entrants had rates of consultations more than 2 times as high as other permanent migrants for respiratory and sleep and general medicine specialties.
- Rates of dermatology consultations were lower among the humanitarian entrant population than other permanent migrants.
- Compared to the rest of the Australian population, rates of endocrinology consultations were 50% higher and rates of gastroenterology and hepatology were 30% higher among humanitarian entrants.
The following data visualisation (Figure 2.9) provides a bar chart and data table, which can be accessed by using the tabs (top left-hand side).
Figure 2.9: Age standardised rates of non-hospital specialist consultations by specialty and population group, 2021
In humanitarian entrants the rates of attendances for non-hospital specialist consultations were higher than other permanent migrants or the rest of the Australian population.
References
Person-Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA), 2021, PLIDA Modular Product, ABS DataLab. Findings based on use of PLIDA data.