This indicator reports on the proportion of Indigenous people with type 2 diabetes who had a regular glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test in the previous 12 months and are regular clients attending Indigenous specific primary health care services. The goal for this indicator is 69% by 2023.
Why is it important?
Chronic diseases, including diabetes, are the major causes of morbidity and mortality among Australian and Torres Strait Islander people. Effective management of chronic disease can delay the progression of disease, improve quality of life, increase life expectancy and decrease the need for high-cost interventions leading to net savings.
What data are available?
In the absence of national data on Indigenous people with type 2 diabetes who have regular glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) tests, this indicator uses data from the Indigenous primary health care national Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs) data collection. These data pertain to Indigenous regular clients. A regular client is defined as a client who has attended the primary health care organisation at least 3 times in the last 2 years.
What do the data show?
Nationally, in June 2018, among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regular clients with type 2 diabetes:
- 66% had their HbA1c result recorded within the previous 12 months
- the proportion who had their HbA1c result recorded was lowest in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (62%) and highest in Queensland and Western Australia (70%).