Indigenous primary health care organisations

Primary health care organisations play a critical role in helping to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (hereafter referred to as Indigenous Australians). Indigenous Australians may access mainstream or Indigenous primary health care organisations funded by the Australian and state and territory governments. Information on organisations funded by the Australian Government under its Indigenous Australians’ health programme (IAHP) is available through two data collections, the Online Services Report (OSR) and the national Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs). Most of the organisations funded under the IAHP contribute to both collections.

The OSR collects information on the services organisations provide, client numbers, client contacts and episodes of care, and staffing levels. Contextual information about each organisation is also collected. The nKPIs collect information on a set of process of care and health outcome indicators for Indigenous Australians. There are 24 indicators that focus on maternal and child health, preventative health and chronic disease management. Information from the nKPI and OSR collections helps monitor progress against the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Closing the Gap targets, and supports the national health goals set out in the Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–2023.

Detailed information on the policy context and background to these collections are available in previous national reports, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations: Online Services Report—key results 2016–17 and National Key Performance Indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care: results for 2017.

Number of organisations that reported to the nKPI and OSR collections, June 2018 (a)

Organisations

Number

Total organisations

247

Reporting to the nKPI collection only

49

Reporting to the OSR collection only

14

Reporting to both the nKPI and OSR collections

184

Total reporting to the nKPI collection

233

Total reporting to the OSR collection

198

(a) The OSR also collects data from organisations funded by the Australian Government to provide social and emotional wellbeing services and/or substance-use services, through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS). This web report only includes data from organisations funded under the IAHP. For information on organisations funded under the IAS see previous national OSR reports or email [email protected].

Access the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations: Online Services Report—key results 2017–18

Information is presented on organisations funded by the Australian Government to provide primary health care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.