Glossary
Age
standardisation
The removal of the influence of age when comparing rates between populations with
different age structures. The current standard population is the Australian Estimated
Resident Population as at 30 June 2001 (ABS 2012). Rates in the atlas are expressed
per 100,000 people.1
Carer
A person who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a
disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness or general frailty.
Includes parents and guardians caring for children.
Casemix-adjusted
Casemix is the mix of types of patients a hospital treats. In the atlas, casemix‑
adjustment is a statistical adjustment made for the average complexity of patients when
grouping hospitals to hospital peer groups. In the atlas, this occurred for the length of
stay items only.
Clinician
A healthcare provider trained as a health professional. Includes registered and non‑
registered practitioners, and teams of health professionals who spend most
of their time providing direct clinical care.
Consumer
Patient, potential patient, carer or organisation representing consumer interests.
Episode of care
A period of care in a hospital. This can be a total hospital stay (from admission to
discharge, transfer or death) or a portion of a hospital stay beginning or ending in
a change of type of care (for example, from acute care to rehabilitation).
Hospital
All public, private, acute and psychiatric hospitals, freestanding day hospital facilities
and alcohol and drug treatment centres. Includes hospitals specialising in dentistry,
ophthalmology and other acute medical or surgical care. May also include hospitals run
by the Australian Defence Force and corrections authorities, and those in Australia’s
offshore territories. Excludes outpatient clinics and emergency departments.
1
See the Technical Supplement for more information on the methodology used.
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Glossary | 357
Glossary
Hospital admission
The administrative process of becoming a patient in a hospital.2
Hospital peer
group
Grouping according to similarity to enable fair comparisons of performance across
hospitals. A peer group can consist of hospitals of a similar size (major, large, medium‑
sized or small) or geographical location. Hospital size is determined by the number of
admissions and in some cases the number of emergency department presentations
annually. Hospitals within peer groups may change each year due to changes in their
activity.
See definitions for major metropolitan hospitals, major regional hospitals, large
metropolitan hospitals and large regional hospitals.
Large metropolitan
hospitals
Metropolitan acute hospitals treating greater than 10,000 acute casemix-adjusted
separations and greater than 20,000 emergency department presentations annually.
Large regional
hospitals
Regional acute hospitals treating greater than 8,000 acute casemix-adjusted
separations and greater than 20,000 emergency department presentations annually.
Length of stay
Also known as ‘average length of stay’ within the atlas. The average (mean) number of
days spent in hospital for each stay (episode of care) for patients who stay at
least one night.
Local health
networks
States and territories each have different descriptions of the governance structure
providing health services. These include local health networks, local hospital networks,
local health districts, boards or area health services. Where the term ‘local health
network’ is used, it refers to the description of any of these terms as relevant to states
and territories.
Major metropolitan
hospitals
Metropolitan hospitals with greater than 20,000 acute casemix-adjusted separations
and greater than 20,000 emergency department presentations annually.
Excludes specialist women’s and children’s hospitals.
Major regional
hospitals
Regional hospitals with greater than 16,000 acute casemix-adjusted separations
and greater than 20,000 emergency department presentations annually.
Excludes specialist women’s and children’s hospitals.
Medicare Benefits
Schedule (MBS)
A listing of the Medicare services that the Australian Government subsidises.3
Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme
(PBS)
An Australian Government program that subsidises medicines.4
2
3
4
National Health Performance Authority. Glossary. 2015. (Accessed 13 October at www.myhealthycommunities.gov.au/glossary).
Australian Government Department of Health. MBS Online. 2013.
(Accessed 14 October 2015 at www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Home).
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. PBS Frequently Asked Questions. 2015. (Accessed 12 October 2015 at www.pbs.gov.au/info/general/faq).
358 | Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Glossary
Population
The atlas uses two population estimates based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics
(ABS) Estimated Resident Population at 30 June 2013, and age-standardised rates are
calculated as at 30 June 2001 and are based on the 2001 Census results.
Primary care
Relates to the treatment of non-admitted patients in the community. It is usually the first
point of contact people have with the health system.5
Primary health
networks
Primary health networks began to operate on 1 July 2015 to replace Medicare locals.6
PHNs connect health services across local communities so that patients, particularly
those needing coordinated care, have the best access to a range of health care
providers, including practitioners, community health services and hospitals. PHNs work
directly with general practitioners, other primary care providers, secondary care
providers and hospitals.
Regulation 24
prescription
A PBS prescription that, in certain circumstances, allows a pharmacy to supply all
repeats simultaneously.
Remoteness Areas
Categories of geographical remoteness based on the ABS 2006 Census of Population
and Housing.7
Same-day
hospitalisation
Occurs when a patient is admitted and separated from hospital on the same date.
Separation
An episode of admitted patient care, which can be a total hospital stay (from admission
to discharge, transfer or death) or a portion of a hospital stay beginning or ending in a
change of type of care (for example, from acute care to rehabilitation). In the atlas,
‘separation’ usually refers to a hospital admission.
Socioeconomic
status
Local areas are grouped into socioeconomic quintiles based on the 2011 Index of
Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) at the SA1 level. The IRSD is derived
from Census variables relating to disadvantage, such as low income, low educational
attainment, unemployment and dwellings without motor vehicles.
Information from the ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) – Index of
Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage was used to calculate the socioeconomic status
at the SA3 and SA4 levels in the atlas.
SEIFA includes four summary measures created from 2006 Census information.
The indexes can be used to explore different aspects of socioeconomic conditions by
geographic areas. For each index, every geographic area in Australia is given a SEIFA
number that shows how disadvantaged that area is compared with other areas.
Each index summarises a different aspect of the socioeconomic conditions of people
living in an area. For example, they provide more general measures of socioeconomic
status than is given by measuring income or unemployment alone. 8
5
6
7
8
Department of Health. Primary care. 2015. (Accessed 12 October 2015 at www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/primarycare).
Medicare Locals planned and funded health services in communities across Australia from 2011 to 2015. In 2015, Medicare Locals were replaced by
Primary Health Networks (PHNs). Also see Primary Health Network.
For information on the categories used in the atlas, see the ABS’ Statistical Geography Volume 1 – Australian Standard Geographical Classification
(ASGC), July 2006, cat. no. 1216.0.
For further information, see the ABS’ Information Paper: An Introduction to Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2006, ABS cat. no. 2039.0.
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Glossary
Statistical Areas
Level 3 (SA3)
These are geographic areas defined in the ABS Australian Statistical Geography
Standard (ASGS). The aim of SA3s is to create a standard framework for the analysis
of ABS data at the regional level through clustering groups that have similar
regional characteristics.
There are 333 spatial SA3s covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.
SA3s usually have a population of between 30,000 and 130,000 people. At 30 June
2011, about 50 had fewer than 30,000 people and 35 had more than 130,000 people.
In the major cities, SA3s represent areas serviced by major transport and commercial
hubs. They often closely align with large urban local government areas (for example,
Parramatta and Geelong).
In regional areas, they represent areas serviced by regional cities with populations of
more than 20,000 people. In outer regional and remote areas, they represent areas that
are widely recognised as having a distinct identity and similar social and economic
characteristics (for example, the Macedon Ranges in Victoria and the Southern
Highlands in NSW).
There are a few ‘zero SA3s’, which have a very small or zero population and are mainly
very large national parks close to the outskirts of major cities. 9
Statistical Areas
Level 4 (SA4)
These are geographic areas defined in the ABS Australian Statistical Geography
Standard (ASGS). The aim of SA4s is to reflect the labour markets within each state
and territory. SA4s provide the best sub-state and socioeconomic breakdown in the
ASGS.
There are 88 spatial SA4s covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.
They are designed to provide a regional breakdown of Australia. Most SA4s have a
minimum of 100,000 people. In regional areas, SA4s tend to have populations closer to
the minimum (100,000–300,000 people). In metropolitan areas, SA4s tend to have
larger populations of 300,000–500,000 people.10
For further information, see the ABS’ Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 – Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical
Areas, July 2011, cat. no. 1270.0.55.001.
10 For further information, see the ABS’ Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 – Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical
Areas, July 2011, cat. no. 1270.0.55.001.
9
360 | Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care