National palliative care measures

Table 1 provides an overview of the national palliative care measures. The status of each measure shows if there has been a statistically significant change over time. See the Technical Notes for further information.

Table 1: Overview of the national palliative care measures

Objective area	Measure	Baseline value	Latest value	Status	Latest update
Effective	1.1 Physical wellbeing Proportion of palliative care phases for people with life-limiting illnesses for which the distress related to pain improved or remained at a low level after intervention.	71.1% in 2018	70.6% in 2024	Regress	14 May 2026 Data for physical wellbeing
Effective	1.2 Psychosocial wellbeing Proportion of palliative care phases for people with life-limiting illnesses for which psychological or spiritual problems improved or remained at a low level after intervention.	80.2% in 2018	79.6% in 2024	No change	14 May 2026 Data for psychosocial wellbeing
Effective	1.3 Evidence-based care Proportion of specialist palliative care services that met relevant, evidence-based standards.	. .	. .	Status not known	Data for this measure will be added when it becomes available.
Safe	2.1 Avoidance of overtreatment Proportion of people with life limiting illnesses who received potentially non-beneficial treatments at the end of life.	8.9% in 2018	8.3% in 2020	Progress	23 May 2024 Data for this measure will be updated in late 2026. Data for avoidance of overtreatment
Safe	2.2 Avoidance of accident and injury Proportion of people with life limiting illnesses who experienced a potentially preventable accident or injury.	. .	. .	Status not known	Data for this measure will be added when it becomes available.
Appropriate	3.1a Collaborative care Proportion of people with life limiting illnesses who were cared for in their location of preference at the end of life.	. .	. .	Status not known	Data for this measure will be added when it becomes available.
Appropriate	3.1b Collaborative care Proportion of Australians with advance care planning documents.	. .	. .	Status not known	Data for this measure will be added when it becomes available.
Appropriate	3.2 Carer wellbeing Proportion of palliative care phases for people with life-limiting illnesses for which family or carer problems improved or remained at a low level after intervention.	75.0% in 2018	74.8% in 2024	No change	14 May 2026 Data for carer wellbeing
Continuous	4.1 Coordinated care Proportion of people with life-limiting illnesses with a potentially preventable hospitalisation in their last 3 months of life.	12.9% in 2018	11.9% in 2020	Progress	23 May 2024 Data for this measure will be updated in late 2026.  Data for coordinated care
Continuous	4.2a Timely care Proportion of people who received specialist palliative care in the last year of life with first receipt at least 3 months before death.	20.0% in 2018	20.9% in 2020	Progress	23 May 2024 Data for this measure will be updated in late 2026.  Data for timely care
Continuous	4.2b Timely care Proportion of inpatient unstable palliative care phases that lasted 3 days or less.	76.1% in 2018	82.3% in 2023	Progress	14 May 2026 Data for timely care
Accessible	5.1a Equitable Number of full-time equivalent employed health practitioners in the specialist palliative care workforce, per 100,000 population.	13.2 FTE per 100,000 in 2018	14.4 FTE per 100,000 in 2024	Progres	14 May 2026 Data for equitable
Accessible	5.1b Equitable Proportion of people in need of palliative care who received palliative care.	. .	. .	Status not known	Data for this measure will be added when it becomes available.
Accessible	5.2 Inclusive Proportion of people accessing palliative care who felt their care was respectful of their cultural beliefs and practices.	. .	. .	Status not known	Data for this measure will be added when it becomes available.

Status key 

Progress The change from baseline to latest available data was statistically significant (p<0.05) and moving in the desired direction	No change Any change in the measure from baseline to latest available data was not statistically significant (p<0.05).	Regress The change from baseline to latest available data was statistically significant (p<0.05) and moving in the opposite direction to what is desired.	Status not known Used when there is not enough data available yet to report on progress.