Summary
Introduction
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people are eligible for an annual health check specifically tailored to their needs, funded through Medicare. This health check aims to identify common health conditions that disproportionately affect First Nations people, such as diabetes and heart disease, promoting early detection and preventive care.
During the health check, a General Practitioner (GP) or a multidisciplinary team led by a GP will assess the individual's physical, psychological, and social wellbeing, providing necessary health-related information, advice and care. If required, the GP may also refer the person to other healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, podiatrists, or dietitians, for free follow-up care under a list of Medicare items specifically for First Nations people.
This report, updated biennially from 2024, presents the latest data and trends in the use of health checks and follow-up services, disaggregated by age, sex and geography. For the first time, it also presents exploratory analyses of the use of MBS items for chronic disease management among health check patients.
Note that many patient statistics are presented as proportions of the First Nations population, based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2016 Census-based Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Reference period 2006 – 2031 (ABS 2019). When the corresponding 2021 Census-based population series is available for future updates, proportions presented here may change considerably.
Key findings
28% of First Nations people (257,000 people) had a health check in 2023, compared with 23% in the 12 months from July 2021 to June 2022 (209,000 people). 29% of First Nations people (250,000 people) had a health check in 2019, which is the highest uptake seen so far. See National use of health checks.
42% of First Nations people aged 65 and over had a health check in 2023, compared with 23% of those aged 15–34. See National use of health checks.
In 2023, First Nations females had higher uptake of annual health checks than males in most age groups, particularly those aged 25–34 (29% of females compared with 18% of males). See National use of health checks.
Data from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care national Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs) data collection suggest that GPs at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) conduct around 44% of all health checks despite only making up about 2.2% of fulltime-equivalent GPs. See National use of health checks.
The area with the highest uptake of health checks in 2023 was Townsville (SA3), at 52% of the First Nations population. At the low end, less than 5% of the First Nations population had a health check in some areas, such as Pittwater (SA3). See comparisons of health check use by states and territories, PHN regions, Remoteness Areas, Indigenous Regions, SA4s and SA3s.
Over the 5-year period from July 2018 to June 2023, about 576,000 First Nations people received at least one health check. This is equivalent to over half (63%) of the projected First Nations population at 30 June 2023. See Cumulative health checks.
In 2022–23, the average health check patient living in Very remote areas had their previous health check 30 months earlier, compared with 26 months earlier among patients living in Major cities. See Time between health checks.
372,000 follow-up services were delivered in 2023, up from 320,000 delivered during the year from July 2021 to June 2022. Follow-up services peaked early in the COVID-19 pandemic (388,000 from July 2019 to June 2020), then began to drop. See Numbers of follow-ups delivered.
Among the patients who received a health check in 2022, 45% received a follow-up service in the 12 months following their health check (104,000 out of 228,000 patients). Patients aged 65–74 had the highest follow-up percentage, at 56%, and females had a higher follow-up percentage than males in every adult age group. See National use of follow-ups.
In 2023, half of health check patients aged 45–54 (49%) also had a chronic disease management service that year. The proportion was 77% among health check patients aged 75 and over. See National use of chronic disease management services.
Data in this release
This report update includes the latest data and time-series outlined below in Table 1.
Changes in this edition:
- Most data are newly available by calendar year (the 12 months to 31 December), as well as financial year (the 12 months to 30 June), allowing for more frequent updates and enhancement of trends.
- Proportions of the population who received a Medicare service are calculated based on the population at the end of the financial year or calendar year, instead of the population at the mid-point. Patients’ age is also calculated based on the date at the end of the financial year or calendar year of their service. These changes maintain the completeness of the patient count, while aligning patients’ age with the population data.
- Patients’ geographic information is taken from the latest related Medicare service in the financial year or calendar year.
- New exploratory analysis is presented on Medicare services for chronic disease management among health check patients.
- Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) data are made available – limited to health checks in 2023.
- Age groups for uptake of health checks by state/territory and Primary Health Network (PHN) are modified.
- Additional data are made available for download, including age and sex breakdowns for some of the geographical outputs. See 'Expanded content' tables on the Data page.
- Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA) data are removed.
- Medicare items delivered via telehealth are no longer analysed separately.
- Exploratory analyses in the previous report based on socioeconomic patterns are discontinued. Socioeconomic patterns may be re-examined in future reports, depending on what data are available.
Chapter | Findings |
|---|---|
Health checks | National uptake by age and sex(a), by reference month(b), 2013 to 2023 State/territory and Primary Health Network (PHN) uptake by age(a), by reference month(b), 2013 to 2023 Remoteness Area, Indigenous Region (IREG) and Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) uptake(a), by reference month(b), 2013 to 2023 Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) uptake(a), 2023 Cumulative health checks by sex, by state/territory, by reference period, July 2013 to June 2023 Time between health checks by sex, by age, by state/territory, by Remoteness Area, 2018–19 to 2022–23 |
Follow-up services overview | Follow-up use by age and sex, by reference month(b), 2013 to 2023 Follow-up use by practitioner type, by year, 2018–19 to 2022–23 |
Health checks resulting in a follow-up | Follow-up percentages by age and sex, by year of health check, 2013 to 2022(c) State/territory, PHN, Remoteness Area, IREG and SA4 follow-up percentages, by year of health check, 2018 to 2022(c) Cumulative follow-ups, by year of health check, 2018–19 to 2021–22 |
| Chronic disease management services among health check patients | Chronic disease management service use among health check patients, by age and sex, 2023(d) |
- Health check uptake shows patient numbers as a proportion of the First Nations population, based on the ABS’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections for the 2006–2031 reference period (2016-based).
- ‘Reference month’ data show uptake as at June and December, relating to the 12 months ending on 30 June and 31 December, respectively.
- Follow-up percentages show the proportion of health check patients each year, who received a follow-up service within 12 months of their health check.
- Chronic disease management (CDM) service analysis shows the proportion of health check patients who received a CDM service in the same year as their health check.
References
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2019) Estimates and projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006 – 2031, ABS website, Australian Government, accessed 10 May 2024.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2023) Indigenous-specific health checks during the COVID-19 pandemic, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 20 May 2024.