Health Statistics in Australia: What We Know and Do Not Know

Richard Madden, Nicola Fortune and Julie Gordon
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Richard Madden: Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Nicola Fortune: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Julie Gordon: WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Australia is a federation of six states and two territories (the States). These eight governmental entities share responsibility for health and health services with the Australian Government. Mortality statistics, including causes of death, have been collected since the late 19th century, with national data produced by the (now) Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from 1907. Each State introduced hospital in-patient statistics, assisted by State offices of the ABS. Beginning in the 1970s, the ABS conducts regular health surveys, including specific collections on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Overall, Australia now has a comprehensive array of health statistics, published regularly without political or commercial interference. Privacy and confidentiality are guaranteed by legislation. Data linkage has grown and become widespread. However, there are gaps, as papers in this issue demonstrate. Most notably, data on primary care patients and encounters reveal stark gaps. This paper accompanies a range of papers from expert authors across the health statistics spectrum in Australia. It is hoped that the collection of papers will inform interested readers and stand as a comprehensive review of the strengths and weaknesses of Australian health statistics in the early 2020s.

Keywords: health statistics; Australian health system; health surveys; Indigenous; data linkage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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