Diagnosis & screening services
The measures and the data
The section includes the measures and data on eye health diagnosis and screening services including eye problems managed by GPs, annual health assessments, eye examinations; screening for diabetic retinopathy, trachoma and trichiasis; and rates of undiagnosed eye conditions.
| Measures | Data source | Latest data | Data included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 Eye health problems managed by GPs | BEACH | 2010–15 | Indigenous status, type of problem |
| 2.2 Annual health assessments | MBS | 2015–16 | Time trend, age, sex, region, state, PHN |
| 2.3 Eye examinations by an eye care professional | MBS | 2015–16 | Time trend, age, sex, Indigenous status, region, state, need |
| 2.4.1 Diabetic retinopathy screening (MBS) | MBS | 2015–16 | Profession type, age, sex, Indigenous status, region, state |
| 2.4.2 Diabetic retinopathy screening (survey) | NEHS | 2016 | Profession type, age, sex, Indigenous status, region, state |
|
2.5.1 Trachoma screening coverage |
TSR | 2016 | Age, time trend, state |
| 2.5.2 Trichiasis screening coverage | TSR | 2016 | Age, time trend, state |
| 2.6 Undiagnosed eye conditions | NEHS | 2016 | Condition, Indigenous status |
Notes:
- NEHS—2016 National Eye Health Survey; TSR—Trachoma Surveillance Report; BEACH—Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health survey of general practice; MBS—Medical Benefits Schedule data.
- For more details about the measures and the data see Technical notes and data sources (295KB PDF).
- Data tables: Diagnosis & screening services (604KB XLS)
Key points
- In 2015–16, around 84,000 (12%) Indigenous Australians had had an eye examination in the preceding 12 months.
- The age-standardised proportion of Indigenous Australians who had an eye examination remained fairly stable between 2014–15 and 2015–16, but the proportion for non-Indigenous Australians increased resulting in a widening of the gap from 5.2% to 6.2%.
- In 2015–16, it was estimated that over one third (37%) of Indigenous people with diabetes had not had an eye examination in the preceding 12 months, as recommended in the current guidelines.