The number of hospital separations with a procedure for cataract surgery, per 1,000,000 First Nations people: Measure 3.4
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Hospitalisations reflect both the occurrence in the population of eye conditions which are serious enough to require hospitalisation, as well as access to and use of hospitals services. The cataract surgery rate is calculated per million to align with international standards (Figure 34 and Figure 36).
Latest data
In the 2–year period from 2022–24, there were 9,671 hospitalisations for First Nations people for cataract surgery – a rate of 4,736 per 1,000,000 population. The number of hospitalisations over the 2–year period from 2022–24 was below the estimated number of First Nations people needing cataract surgery (17,031) (Figure 34).
Figure 34: Cataract surgery rate, 2020–22 and 2022–24
Two barcharts showing number and rates for 2020-22 and 2022-24. See link to data tables at the bottom of this page for details.
Notes
- Based on any procedure code.
- Includes procedure blocks 193–203.
- Hospitalisations with a care type of Newborn (without qualified days) and records for Hospital boarders and Posthumous organ procurement have been excluded.
- Includes public and private hospitals.
Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database
Estimated need for cataract surgery
Need for cataract surgery from 2016–17 to 2023–24 has been estimated based on growth in the First Nations population. Percentage of estimated need met has been calculated based on the number of cataract surgery separations. From 2016–17 to 2023–24 the percent of need met has risen from 31% to 52%.
Figure 35: Percent of estimated need for cataract surgery that was met, 2016–17 to 2023–24
Line chart showing percent of need met for cataract surgery, 2016-17 to 2023-24.
Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database
Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 36.
By remoteness
In 2022–24, the age-standardised rate of hospitalisations for First Nations people for cataract surgery was highest in Remote and very remote areas (combined) (9,275 per 1,000,000) (Figure 36 – remoteness).
By jurisdiction
In 2022–24, the jurisdictions with the highest age-standardised hospitalisation rates for cataract surgery for First Nations people were Western Australia (11,526 per 1,000,000), South Australia (8,830 per 1,000,000) and New South Wales (8,438 per 1,000,000) (Figure 36 – jurisdiction).
By age and Indigenous status
In 2022–24, rates of cataract surgery increased with age and were highest for those aged 75 and over. The difference in First Nations and non-Indigenous rates of cataract surgery was greatest for those aged 75 and over (63,464 and 69,453 per 1,000,000, respectively) (Figure 36 – population groups).
By Primary Health Network
In 2022–24, the PHNs with the highest reported rates of hospitalisations for First Nations people for cataract surgery were Country WA (8,477 per 1,000,000) and North Coast (6,207 per 1,000,000) (Figure 36 – geography).
By roadmap region
In 2022–24, 3 Roadmap regions exceeded the estimated need for cataract surgery with hospitalisation rates greater than 10,000 per 1,000,000 (figure 35 – geography).
Time trend
Age-specific hospitalisation rates for First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians for cataract surgery fluctuated but increased overall in all age-groups from 2016–17 to 2023–24(Figure 3.4e). In 2023–24, the rate of hospitalisations was higher for First Nations people aged 45–54 and 55–64 than for non‑Indigenous Australians of the same age. However, at older ages, rates were higher for non-Indigenous Australians than First Nations people.
Between 2016–17 and 2023–24, the age-standardised rate for cataract surgery for First Nations people fluctuated but increased overall from 6,530 to 8,849 per 1,000,000. The rate for non-Indigenous Australians also fluctuated but increased overall from 8,572 in 2016–17 to 9,204 in 2023–24. The trend line shows a slight rise in the age-standardised hospitalisation rate for First Nations people over this time (Figure 35 – time trend).
Figure 36: Cataract surgery rate: interactive data
See link to data tables following this image.
Downloadable data tables are available on Data.