Glossary

Aboriginal: A person of Aboriginal descent who identifies as being Aboriginal, and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives.

albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR): A measure of renal function that assesses albumin in the urine. A healthy result was considered as less than 2.5 for males and less than 3.5 for females.

AUDIT-C: An Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test screening tool, which is sensitive to the early detection of risky and high-risk (or hazardous and harmful) drinking.

birth: Birth of a viable fetus, which is defined as a birth occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy or the fetus weighing more than 400 grams at birth (live, still, singleton, multiple).

birthweight: Birthweight is defined as low (birthweight of less than 2,500 grams), normal (birthweight of 2,500–4,499 grams), or high (birthweight of 4,500 grams and over).

body mass index (BMI): A measure of an adult’s weight (body mass) relative to height, used to assess the extent of weight deficit or excess, where height and weight have been measured. BMI is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres.

cardiovascular disease (CVD): Any disease of the circulatory system, namely the heart (cardio) or blood vessels (vascular).

cervical screening: A procedure involving a Pap test or HPV test, which is used to detect cancer and pre-cancerous abnormalities of the cervix.

clinical information system (CIS): A computer system used to manage client records

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Serious, progressive and disabling long‑term lung disease where damage to the lungs—usually because of both emphysema and chronic bronchitis—obstructs oxygen intake, and causes increasing shortness of breath.

estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): A measure of how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood. The eGFR is the best measure of kidney function. A result of 60mL/min/1.73m2 or over was considered as normal or close to normal.

first antenatal visit: The contact at which the initial antenatal check-ups are done—for example, to confirm pregnancy, establish history, and conduct blood tests.

fully immunised: Describes children who have received all immunisations according to the AIR.

  • Children aged 12–<24 months are required to have received all immunisations that are due at 6 months:
    • 3 doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough
    • 3 doses of polio
    • 2 or 3 doses of haemophilus influenzae type B
    • 2 or 3 doses of hepatitis B.
  • Children aged 24–<36 months are required to have received all immunisations that are due at 12 months:
    • 3 doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough
    • 3 doses of polio
    • 3 or 4 doses of haemophilus influenzae type B
    • 3 doses of hepatitis B,
    • 1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella.
  • Children aged 60–<72 months are required to have received all immunisations that are due at age 4
    • 4 doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough
    • 4 doses of polio
    • 2 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella.

General Practitioner Management Plan (GPMP): Chronic disease management plan carried out according to the MBS Schedule (item 721).

haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c or glycated haemoglobin): A measurement that acts as an indicator of time-averaged blood glucose levels (over the previous 2–3 months). It is used as the best marker of long-term diabetes control (Jones et al. 2011).

indicator: See definition for national Key Performance Indicators.

influenza: An acute contagious viral respiratory infection marked by fever, muscle aches, headache, cough, and sore throat.

MBS health assessment: Health assessment for those aged 0–4 and 25 and over, which are done according to the MBS Schedule (item 715).

national Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs): A set of indicators that monitor the major health issues of the regular client population of Indigenous-specific primary health care organisations.

primary health care organisations: Organisations that receive funding from DoH to provide primary health care services. While some primary health care organisations constitute an individual health care clinic, others have multiple clinics, and provide combined data for all their clinics. Other nKPI reporting organisations are intermediaries (for example, Primary Health Networks), which might also combine the data for the clinics where they subcontract services.

regular client: A client who has visited a particular primary health care provider 3 or more times in the previous 2 years.

remoteness area: A measure in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard used to classify areas across Australia based on their distance from different services. The main categories are Major cities, Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote, and Very remote.

smoking status: Current smoker includes those who smoke daily, weekly, or less often than weekly; ex-smoker refers to a person who does not smoke at all now, but has smoked at least 100 cigarettes, or a similar amount of other tobacco product, in his/her lifetime; never smoked refers to a person who does not smoke now, and has smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes, or a similar amount of other tobacco product, in his/her lifetime.

Team Care Arrangement (TCA): Chronic disease management plan carried out according to the MBS Schedule (item 723).

type 2 diabetes: The most common form of diabetes, occurring mostly in people aged 40 or over, and marked by reduced or less effective insulin.