National key performance indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care: preliminary results from May 2015 [AIHW]

National key performance indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care: preliminary results from May 2015 captures summary data from around 240 primary health care organisations that received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health to provide services primarily to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as at May 2015.

It presents summary data for 21 indicators (14 process-of-care and 7 health outcome indicators) on maternal and child health, preventative health and chronic disease management. Complete results for May 2015 and June 2016 are due to be released in May 2017 in the National key performance indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care: results from June 2016.

Download data report: National key performance indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care: preliminary results for May 2015

The economic cost of dementia in Australia

Alzheimer's Australia commissioned NATSEM at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra to estimate the cost of dementia in Australia. The economic impact of dementia is a major concern nationally and internationally as the number of individuals with dementia continues to rise. Access Economics(2003) estimated the total cost of dementia to be $6.6 billion in 2002.

Economic cost of dementia in Australia 2016-2056 shows that the cost of dementia in Australia in 2016 is $14.25 billion, which equates to an average cost of $35,550 per person with dementia. Not only does this report update the Access Economics 2002 estimate to 2016, it also projects likely future costs of dementia over the next 40 years. In doing so, it provides an overview of dementia in Australia, including increases in the prevalence and incidence of dementia over the next 40 years, describes some of the social and economic characteristics of people with dementia, and identifies the impact of dementia on mortality and burden of disease.

The need for care and provision of care services is also reported on, including estimating the future need for both informal and formal carers in both the community and residential aged care sectors. The report models direct and indirect costs of dementia in 2016 out to 2056. The impact on costs of a 'hypothetical' intervention program that reduces the annual incidence of dementia by 5% is modelled. A second scenario simulates the impact of 'hypothetical' technological change in hospital care and its impact on costs.

9th Closing the Gap report

This is a report card on how we, as a nation, are meeting our responsibilities in improving outcomes for our First Australians. This report recognises changes are underway and successes are being achieved, however, progress overall nationally, is too slow.

The Closing the Gap targets address the areas of health, education and employment, and provide an important snapshot of where progress is being made and where further efforts are needed. We know we will not make the necessary gains across any of these areas if we don't work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is only once we establish effective mechanisms for working together, for supporting decision-making at the community level, that we are likely to see the gains needed to meet the targets.

The importance of culture cannot be underestimated in working to close the gap. The connection to land, family and culture is fundamental to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are the world's oldest continuous cultures—they have stood the test of time. We must continue to preserve and respect Indigenous cultures for this generation and the future and we must acknowledge the impact of past policies on our First Australians, and work to heal the wounds of the past.

We need to look at what the evidence tells us will work and, where needed, invest in better understanding the most effective solutions. Our ambitious reform agenda, with COAG and Indigenous leaders, will consider learnings over the last decade under Closing the Gap and where we need to change course to deliver sustainable change.

9th Closing the Gap Report.

Healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in 2015-16 [AIHW]

Healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in 2015-16 includes new data on rates of healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (Golden Staph) for Australian public hospitals in 2015-16. Major hospitals continue to record the highest rates of infections, which have been declining nationally over the past six years from 1.68 cases per 10,000 days of patient care in 2010-11 to 1.02 cases per 10,000 in 2015-16. Information is provided via Excel downloads and on reported hospitals results pages. A new interactive table allows users to see how rates in public hospitals compare over a six-year period.

Download report: Healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in 2015-16

NSW Emergency departments website

NSW Health has launched a new Real-Time Emergency Department website.

The purpose of this website is to inform members of the public about availability of emergency departments in major NSW hospitals. The website also allows to locate the nearest hospitals and to see a number of patients waiting in the Emergency Rooms.

http://www.emergencywait.health.nsw.gov.au/

Changing associations of selected social determinants with Aboriginal and torres Strait Island health & wellbeing, 2002 to 2012-13

Changing associations of selected social determinants with Aboriginal and torres Strait Island health & wellbeing, 2002 to 2012-13 by the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research uses data from national health and social surveys of the Indigenous population, conducted between 2002 and 2012-13, to examine whether associations of some key social determinants with selected health and wellbeing outcomes changed over that time.

Consistently during the decade, employment status and housing tenure were significantly associated with a range of health and wellbeing outcomes for the Indigenous population.

As education levels have increased among the Indigenous population, the association of education with health and wellbeing has weakened. This suggests that at least some of the association of education with health and wellbeing is attributable to other characteristics of individuals or educational institutions not captured in our models, not just the outcome of the education process itself.

Improvements in some health and wellbeing outcomes in remote areas, despite declining employment over the decade, suggest that more detailed analysis is required to shed light on whether associations between the selected social determinants of health and wellbeing differ for Indigenous people living in remote and nonremote areas.

Hospitalised burn injuries Australia 2013-14 [AIHW]

Hospitalised burn injuries Australia 2013-14 provides information on cases of burn injury requiring hospitalisation in Australia. While burn injuries make up a small fraction (1%) of all hospitalisations for injury, they are often the most serious and result in numerous re-admissions and long lengths of stay.

In 2013-14 there were 5,430 cases of hospitalised burn injury of which about two-thirds were male. Almost half of all cases (45%) were caused by contact with heat and hot substances such as hot drinks, food, fats and cooking oils.

Download report: Hospitalised burn injuries Australia 2013-14

A Global Snapshot of Indigenous and Tribal People’s Health: The Lancet–Lowitja Institute Collaboration

The purpose of this report is to provide a more detailed understanding of the context of each population included in a paper published by The Lancet in April 2016, 'Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Health (The Lancet–Lowitja Institute Collaboration): A population study' by I. Anderson, B. Robson, M. Connolly et al.

Contributors have endeavoured to provide a summary of the history, culture, legal and political status as well as socio-demographic factors of each Indigenous or Tribal group. Unfortunately the political situation in some countries has meant that in some cases authors have not been able to include important facts pertaining to their Indigenous peoples.

A Global Snapshot of Indigenous and Tribal People's Health: The Lancet–Lowitja Institute Collaboration

Cancer in Australia 2017 (AIHW)

Cancer in Australia 2017 presents the latest available information on national population screening programs, Medicare data, cancer incidence, hospitalisations, survival, prevalence, mortality and burden of disease.

Key points:

* Cancer is the leading cause of disease burden in Australia

* For all cancers combined, the incidence rate increased from 383 per 100,000 persons in 1982 to 504 per 100,000 in 2008, before an expected decrease to 470 per 100,000 in 2017

* During the same period, the mortality rate decreased from 209 per 100,000 in 1982 to 161 per 100,000 in 2017

* Cancer survival has improved over time

* It is estimated that the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia in 2017 will be breast cancer in females, followed by colorectal cancer and prostate cancer (excluding basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, as these cancers are not notifiable diseases in Australia)

Media release: More cancer cases diagnosed, but overall rates falling and survival rates improving.

Download report: Cancer in Australia 2017

Cancer in Australia: in brief 2017.

Australian Cancer Incidence and Mortality (ACIM) books

Suicide Prevention Programs in Construction

Tradies in Australia are 6 times more likely to kill themselves than to die in an accident onsite. If building companies are to invest in safety and health, why not invest in setting up suicide prevention programs?

According to the latest report on suicide in the construction industry by MATES in Construction, on average 169 construction workers killed themselves each year between 2001 and 2013. That means one construction worker committed suicide every two days. The alarmingly high suicide figure in the Australian construction industry leaves many families with broken hearts and results in an estimated cost of $1.57 billion dollars per year.

See more at: https://sourceable.net/suicide-prevention-program-in-construction/