Eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2025: interactive data

The number and proportion of First Nation people who had a First Nations-specific health assessment and had an eye examination: Measure 2.1.2

This measure includes in-person health assessments (Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item 715 or 228) and assessments provided via videoconference or teleconference (MBS item 92004, 92011, 92016, 92023), and who also had an initial eye examination by an optometrist.

Latest data

In 2023–24, just over 1 in 20 (54,028 or 5.2%) First Nations people had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist (figure 15).

By remoteness

In 2023–24, the proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist was highest in Inner regional and Outer regional areas (5.4% and 6.1%, respectively). The proportion was 5.0% in Major cities and Remote areas. It was lowest in Very remote areas (3.8%)  (Figure 16 – remoteness). 

By jurisdiction

In 2023–24, the proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist was highest in Queensland (6.4%) and New South Wales (5.6%)  (Figure 16 – jurisdiction).  

By age and sex

In 2023–24, health assessments and initial eye examinations for First Nations females outnumbered those for First Nations males across all age groups, although differences were very small for age groups 0–14 and 75 and over (Figure 16 – population groups).

By Primary Health Network

In 2023–24, the PHNs with the highest proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist were in Brisbane North, Brisbane South, Darling Downs and West Moreton and Western NSW (all over 7%) (Figure 16 – geography).

Time trend

The age-specific proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist increased from around 1% to 4% in 2016–17 for all age groups 44 years and under to around 2–5% in 2023–24. The proportion of First Nations people in all age groups aged 45 and over who had a health assessment rose from around 6–15% in 2016–17  to around 8–20% in 2023–24  (Figure 16 – time trend).

Between 2016–17 and 2023–24, the age-standardised proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment (including a telehealth assessment) and an initial eye examination by an optometrist increased from around 5% in 2016–17 to around 7% in 2023–24 (Figure 16 – time trend).