The Australian Health Performance Framework [868KB PDF] (NHIPPC, 2017) provides a navigation tool to support reporting on Australia’s health and health care performance. It incorporates and builds upon both Australian and international experiences of health performance and outcomes over recent years.

It supersedes the National Health Performance Framework (NHPF) and the Performance and Accountability Framework (PAF).

To help navigate the complexities of the health system a conceptual framework [PDF 75kB] (Figure 1) was developed as an integral part of the AHPF, focusing on four key areas (domains):

  • the determinants of health – the behaviours and circumstances of a person
  • the health system – effectiveness, safety, appropriateness, continuity, accessibility, efficiency and sustainability of health care
  • the health status of a person – their health conditions, functioning ability and general wellbeing
  • the broader area of societal impacts (contextual information) – the changing demographics of the Australian population, the advancements in research, economic circumstances impacting workforce and infrastructure, and the expansion and improvements in the collection of data.

As part of each domain, there are a number of different factors (dimensions) that affect the health of the Australian population (whether on a personal level, within the health system or external to the health system).

Figure 1: Australian Health Performance Framework: conceptual framework

Diagram showing the relationship between determinants of health, health system, health status and health system context

Note: Indicators are not currently available for all domains and dimensions within the AHPF framework.

Source: Adapted from National Health Information and Performance Principal Committee, 2017, The Australian Health Performance Framework.

To support system-wide reporting under the Framework, an initial set of indicators was developed from existing indicators (NHPF and PAF). These indicators will continually be revised, improved and new indicators developed with input from the sector including from Commonwealth, state and territory governments, clinicians, health consumers, academics and as new data and advances in data analytics become available.

For example, the AIHW is currently working with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to develop new indicators under the ‘safety’ and ‘appropriateness’ dimensions, part of the Health system domain under the Framework.

Another central feature, will be the ability to provide tiered reporting – data that can be easily presented by population groups – allowing for the presentation of multiple perspectives including:

  • individual providers, local (PHN, LHN), State/Territory, national and international
  • specific population groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • funding sources
  • different health conditions
  • demographic and socio-economic groups
  • public and private health care providers.

Framework overview [600KB PDF] - including descriptions about the domains, dimensions and where the indicators have been assigned.

AHPF indicators

References

NHIPPC (National Health Information and Performance Principal Committee) 2017. Adelaide: COAG Health Council. The Australian Health Performance Framework.