Emergency Department
Presentations
Measures
- Number of emergency department presentations (excluding dialysis).
- Crude rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations (excluding dialysis).
- Age-standardised rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations (excluding dialysis).
Available by
- Sex: males, females, persons.
- Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–49, 50 and over, all ages.
- Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.
Data periods
- Current year: 2019–20 to 2023–24 (combined).
- Time trend: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
Data sources
AIHW analysis of National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD).
Region types
Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3).
Data for GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 are presented for ‘urban areas’ only.
Suppression
- Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality when the number of events is less than 5, including the use of consequential suppression to prevent back-calculation.
- Crude rates have been suppressed where the denominator is <100.
- Age standardised rates have been suppressed where the number of events for all ages is <20, or the denominator in any age group is <30.
- When the numerator is suppressed, crude/age-specific rates or percentages are also suppressed.
Notes
- Geography is based on area of usual residence–Statistical Local Area Level 2 (SA2)–classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 structure.
- Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state, GCCSA and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.
- For the denominator in the rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series b) based on the 2021 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population. Population data align with 30 June each year.
- Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised using the 2001 Australian standard population, by 5-year age groups up to 75+.
- Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations with a principal diagnosis of dialysis (ICD-10 code Z49) were excluded from the analysis.
- Emergency department (ED) presentations are the episodes of care when a patient attends a hospital emergency department for assessment and/or treatment, regardless of whether they are subsequently admitted to the hospital. An ED presentation is counted each time a patient arrives at a hospital emergency department and is assessed or treated by hospital staff:
- It is not the same as a hospital admission.
- A patient may have multiple presentations in a year (for example, if they visit the ED more than once).
- For 2023-24 and 2024-25, Northern Territory Health identified a data entry issue with the new Patient Administration System. The data is subject to ongoing review.
Measures
- Number of emergency department presentations due to top 5 leading causes.
- Proportion of emergency department presentations due to top 5 leading causes.
Rank categories
- 1st leading cause
- 2nd leading cause
- 3rd leading cause
- 4th leading cause
- 5th leading cause.
Available by
- Sex: males, females, persons.
- Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–49, 50 and over, all ages.
- Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.
Data periods
- Current year: 2019–20 to 2023–24 (combined).
- Time trend: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
Data sources
AIHW analysis of National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD).
Region types
Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3).
Data for GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 are presented for ‘urban areas’ only.
Suppression
- Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality when the number of events is less than 5, including the use of consequential suppression to prevent back-calculation.
- Crude rates have been suppressed where the denominator is <100.
Notes
- Geography is based on area of usual residence–Statistical Local Area Level 2 (SA2)–classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 structure.
- Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state, GCCSA and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.
- For the denominator in the rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series b) based on the 2021 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population. Population data align with 30 June each year.
- Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised using the 2001 Australian standard population, by 5-year age groups up to 75+.
- Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations with a principal diagnosis of dialysis (ICD-10 code Z49) were excluded from the analysis.
- Principal diagnosis is recorded using the ICD-10-AM codes, with principal diagnosis being the primary reason for admission. Data have been grouped into disease group chapters (or major diagnostic categories) leading causes of emergency department presentations:
- Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (D50-D89)
- Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
- Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93)
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process (H60-H95)
- Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59)
- Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99)
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
- Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99)
- Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)
- Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99)
- Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E89)
- Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99) (except dialysis)
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)
- Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
- Neoplasms (C00-D48)
- No principal diagnosis recorded
- Other diagnosis
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99)
- Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99, U060, U071, U075).
- For 2023-24 and 2024-25, Northern Territory Health identified a data entry issue with the new Patient Administration System. The data is subject to ongoing review.
Principal diagnosis
Measures
- Number of emergency department presentations due to principal diagnosis.
- Proportion of emergency department presentations due to principal diagnosis.
- Crude rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations due to principal diagnosis.
- Age-standardised rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations due to principal diagnosis.
Available by
- Sex: males, females, persons.
- Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–49, 50 and over, all ages.
- Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.
Data periods
- Current year: 2019–20 to 2023–24 (combined).
- Time trend: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
Data sources
AIHW analysis of National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD).
Region types
Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3).
Data for GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 are presented for ‘urban areas’ only.
Suppression
- Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality when the number of events is less than 5, including the use of consequential suppression to prevent back-calculation.
- Crude rates have been suppressed where the denominator is <100.
- Age standardised rates have been suppressed where the number of events for all ages is <20, or the denominator in any age group is <30.
- When the numerator is suppressed, crude/age-specific rates or percentages are also suppressed.
Notes
- Geography is based on area of usual residence–Statistical Local Area Level 2 (SA2)–classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 structure.
- Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state, GCCSA and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.
- For the denominator in the rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series b) based on the 2021 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population. Population data align with 30 June each year.
- Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised using the 2001 Australian standard population, by 5-year age groups up to 75+.
- Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.
- Principal diagnosis is recorded using the ICD-10-AM codes, with principal diagnosis being the primary reason for presentation and have been grouped into the following categories for principal diagnosis of emergency department presentation:
- Care involving dialysis (Z49)
- Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (D50-D89)
- Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
- Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93)
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process (H60-H95)
- Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59)
- Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99)
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
- Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99)
- Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)
- Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99)
- Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E89)
- Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99) (except dialysis)
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)
- Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
- Neoplasms (C00-D48)
- No principal diagnosis recorded
- Other diagnosis
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99)
- Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99, U060, U071, U075).
- For 2023-24 and 2024-25, Northern Territory Health identified a data entry issue with the new Patient Administration System. The data is subject to ongoing review.
Presentation characteristics
Measures
- Number of emergency department presentations by arrival mode.
- Proportion of emergency department presentations by arrival mode.
- Crude rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations by arrival mode.
- Age-standardised rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations by arrival mode.
Arrival mode categories
- Ambulance, air ambulance or helicopter rescue service
- Police/correctional services vehicle
- Other
- Not stated/unknown.
Available by
- Sex: males, females, persons.
- Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–49, 50 and over, all ages.
- Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.
Data periods
- Current year: 2019–20 to 2023–24 (combined).
- Time trend: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
Data sources
AIHW analysis of National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD).
Region types
Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3).
Data for GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 are presented for ‘urban areas’ only.
Suppression
- Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality when the number of events is less than 5, including the use of consequential suppression to prevent back-calculation.
- Crude rates have been suppressed where the denominator is <100.
- Age standardised rates have been suppressed where the number of events for all ages is <20, or the denominator in any age group is <30.
- When the numerator is suppressed, crude/age-specific rates or percentages are also suppressed.
Notes
- Geography is based on area of usual residence–Statistical Local Area Level 2 (SA2)–classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 structure.
- Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state, GCCSA and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.
- For the denominator in the rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series b) based on the 2021 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population. Population data align with 30 June each year.
- Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised using the 2001 Australian standard population, by 5-year age groups up to 75+.
- Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations with a principal diagnosis of dialysis (ICD-10 code Z49) were excluded from the analysis.
- Arrival mode indicates the type of transport or service used by a patient to reach the emergency department. Data have been grouped into the following categories for emergency department presentation:
- Ambulance, air ambulance or helicopter rescue service: Patient arrived via an emergency medical service.
- Police/correctional services vehicle: Patient arrived in a police or correctional services vehicle.
- Other: Patient arrived by other means (for example, private car, taxi, walking in).
- Not stated/unknown: Mode of arrival was not recorded or unknown.
- For 2023-24 and 2024-25, Northern Territory Health identified a data entry issue with the new Patient Administration System. The data is subject to ongoing review.
Measures
- Number of emergency department presentations by triage category.
- Proportion of emergency department presentations by triage category.
- Crude rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations by triage category.
- Age-standardised rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations by triage category.
Triage categories
- Emergency
- Urgent
- Semi-urgent
- Non-urgent
- Resuscitation
- Not assigned.
Available by
- Sex: males, females, persons.
- Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–49, 50 and over, all ages.
- Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.
Data periods
- Current year: 2019–20 to 2023–24 (combined).
- Time trend: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
Data sources
AIHW analysis of National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD).
Region types
Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3).
Data for GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 are presented for ‘urban areas’ only.
Suppression
- Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality when the number of events is less than 5, including the use of consequential suppression to prevent back-calculation.
- Crude rates have been suppressed where the denominator is <100.
- Age standardised rates have been suppressed where the number of events for all ages is <20, or the denominator in any age group is <30.
- When the numerator is suppressed, crude/age-specific rates or percentages are also suppressed.
Notes
- Geography is based on area of usual residence–Statistical Local Area Level 2 (SA2)–classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 structure.
- Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state, GCCSA and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.
- For the denominator in the rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series b) based on the 2021 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population. Population data align with 30 June each year.
- Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised using the 2001 Australian standard population, by 5-year age groups up to 75+.
- Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations with a principal diagnosis of dialysis (ICD-10 code Z49) were excluded from the analysis.
- Triage category indicates the urgency and priority of care that a patient requires upon arrival at the emergency department (ED). It is assigned by a trained triage nurse or clinician and reflects how quickly the patient should be assessed and treated based on the severity of their condition. Data have been grouped into the following categories for emergency department presentation:
- Emergency: Requires immediate attention to prevent death or serious harm.
- Urgent: Serious condition needing prompt care, but not immediately life-threatening.
- Semi-urgent: Condition requiring treatment within a short time frame, but not urgent.
- Non-urgent: Condition that can safely wait for care without risk of deterioration.
- Resuscitation: Life-threatening condition requiring immediate resuscitation.
- Not assigned: Triage category was not recorded or assigned.
- For 2023-24 and 2024-25, Northern Territory Health identified a data entry issue with the new Patient Administration System. The data is subject to ongoing review.
Measures
- Number of emergency department presentations by episode end status.
- Proportion of emergency department presentations by episode end status.
- Crude rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations by episode end status.
- Age-standardised rate (per 1,000) of emergency department presentations by episode end status.
Episode end status
- Admitted to this hospital
- Dead on arrival
- Departed without being admitted or referred
- Did not wait
- Died in emergency room
- Left at own risk
- Not reported
- Referred to another hospital for admission
- Registered, advised of another health care service, left without being attended to.
Available by
- Sex: males, females, persons.
- Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–49, 50 and over, all ages.
- Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.
Data periods
- Current year: 2019–20 to 2023–24 (combined).
- Time trend: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
Data sources
AIHW analysis of National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD).
Region types
Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), Statistical Area Level 4 (SA3).
Data for GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 are presented for ‘urban areas’ only.
Suppression
- Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality when the number of events is less than 5, including the use of consequential suppression to prevent back-calculation.
- Crude rates have been suppressed where the denominator is <100.
- Age standardised rates have been suppressed where the number of events for all ages is <20, or the denominator in any age group is <30.
- When the numerator is suppressed, crude/age-specific rates or percentages are also suppressed.
Notes
- Geography is based on area of usual residence–Statistical Local Area Level 2 (SA2)–classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 structure.
- Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the GCCSA, SA4 and SA3 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state, GCCSA and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.
- For the denominator in the rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series b) based on the 2021 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population. Population data align with 30 June each year.
- Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised using the 2001 Australian standard population, by 5-year age groups up to 75+.
- Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.
- Hospitalisations with a principal diagnosis of dialysis (ICD-10 code Z49) were excluded from the analysis.
- Episode end status indicates the outcome or disposition of a patient following an emergency department (ED) presentation. It reflects whether the patient was admitted, discharged, transferred, or otherwise departed the ED. Data have been grouped into the following categories for emergency department presentations:
- Admitted to this hospital: Patient was admitted as an inpatient to the hospital following the ED presentation.
- Dead on arrival: Patient was already deceased upon arrival at the ED.
- Departed without being admitted or referred: Patient left the ED after assessment without admission or referral to another service.
- Did not wait: Patient left the ED before being seen by a clinician.
- Died in emergency room: Patient passed away while in the ED.
- Left at own risk: Patient left the ED against medical advice.
- Not reported: The episode ED status was not recorded or is unknown.
- Referred to another hospital for admission: Patient was transferred to another hospital for inpatient care.
- Registered, advised of another health care service, left without being attended to: Patient registered in the ED, received advice to seek care elsewhere, and left before being assessed.
- For 2023-24 and 2024-25, Northern Territory Health identified a data entry issue with the new Patient Administration System. The data is subject to ongoing review.