Entries by YeeHar

PBS Top 10

NPS MedicineWise has published* the Top 10 drugs for the financial year July 2017 to  June 2018 based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions. The data is based on date of supply of all prescriptions including those under the co-payment, sourced from the Department of Health in October 2018. The top 10 medicines by cost to government are single originator […]

Health Data Snapshot, Part 3

A treasure trove of health data by location is available on-line.  HealthStats NSW contains up-to-date information on over 200 health risk factors, diseases, locations, and specific populations within New South Wales. The flexibility and power of this resource is reflected in the snapshot of Hospitalisations by category of cause.  The blurry graph shows a time-series comparison […]

Health Data Snapshot, Part 2

In Part 1, geographical classifications available for collation and reporting of health data were discussed. The demographic characteristics of a population are generally presented before moving into health statistics. The ABS Census of Population and Housing Data includes this information and is available by geography online for the past 4 surveys (2016, 2011, 2006, 2001). The 2016 Census […]

Health Data Snapshot, Part 1

If you want to create a picture of the health status and needs of the residents in a particular Australian location, the first step is to define the area you are interested in. This seems pretty straightforward, until you start pulling out numbers… Thanks to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, who developed the Australian Statistical Geography […]

Gut wrenching data

The newly released AIHW Report on Gastrointestinal Cancers is the first time Australia-wide data, specific to gastrointestinal-tract cancers, has been collated. It is the result of collaboration between the AIHW, all state and territory population-based cancer registries and Cancer Australia. The report is a fantastic resource as it brings together epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment data in a comprehensive […]

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs)

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) encompass gene, somatic cell therapies and tissue-engineered products, as well as these in combination with a medical device. Refer to  classification decision tree of AMTPs for further detail. In general, these products involve replacement or regeneration of human cells, tissues or organs in the ultimate personalised medicine. Many also have the […]

Visualisation of Health Expenditure data

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report on national health expenditure for the financial year 2016-17 was released last week. The usual on-line and pdf versions are available and the information can also be viewed using a data visualisation tool. The tool accesses the AIHW Expenditure Database from 1996 through to 2016. Note: […]

A universal dental benefits scheme?

Dental health is an important component of personal well-being. Poor dental hygiene, apart from making unpleasant company, has been reported to be linked to higher rates of systemic disease. In an almost 40-year prospective cohort study of Swedish adults, Wilson and colleagues (2018) concluded that poor oral health is associated with a slightly increased risk of myocardial infarction. […]

Linking cancer screening & outcomes data

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has reported for the first time linkage and analysis of data by their Data Linkage Unit from the following six sources: • BreastScreen Australia registers from the 8 states & territories; • National Cervical Screening Program  registers from each state/territory; • the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program Register; • […]

Private Health Insurance in Australia

The foundations of the modern Australian Healthcare System are three publicly-financed programmes:  Medicare, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme & Public Hospitals. However, private health services are an increasingly critical piece of the infrastructure, with approximately 40% of hospital admissions during 2016/17 occurring in the private system. Although not mandatory, such services can be funded through private health […]