QIM 2: Proportion of regular clients with a current smoking status recorded in their GP record
On this page
- Overview
- Proportion of regular clients with a smoking status recorded (QIM 2a)
- Proportion of regular clients with a smoking status result (QIM 2b)
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases and death in Australia. Smoking was responsible for 9.3% of the total burden of disease in Australia in 2015, making it the leading risk factor contributing to disease burden. Almost three-quarters (73%) of the burden due to smoking was due to premature death (AIHW 2019). Successful public health strategies over many decades have resulted in a significant decline in daily smoking proportions. Despite these positive changes, the harm from tobacco smoking continues to affect current smokers and ex-smokers, as well as non-smokers through their exposure to second-hand smoke (AIHW 2019).
Capture of results recorded outside of the general practice setting
Where a smoking status was recorded elsewhere (for example, smoking rehabilitation centre, community health centre etc.) and the information is not recorded in the clinical information system of the client’s usual general practice (for example, due to incompatible clinical information system between a practice and another service), then these data may not be captured in the report.
Other sources of relevant data
Data on prevalence of health risk factors such as smoking status are captured in the National Health Survey (NHS) conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) conducted by the AIHW and the survey on smoking conducted by the Cancer Council Victoria.
This indicator contains two parts:
- QIM 2a - Proportion of regular clients aged 15 years and over whose smoking status has been recorded in their GP record
- in the last 12 months for those aged 15-29; and
- since turning 30 for those aged 30 and over.
- QIM 2b - Proportion of regular clients aged 15 years and over whose smoking status has been recorded in their GP record (in the last 12 months for those aged 15-29 and since turning 30 for those aged 30 and over) as one of the following: current smoker; ex-smoker; or never smoked.
QIM 2a - Proportion of regular clients aged 15 years and over whose smoking status has been recorded
As of July 2021, nationally, 66.1% of regular clients aged 15 years and over had their smoking status recorded in their GP record (where recorded means in the previous 12 months for those aged 15-29 and since the age of 30 for those aged 30 years and over). This varied from 55.4% to 73.7% across PHNs.