GLOSSARY

Definitions used in the Survey of Health Care are not necessarily identical to those used for similar items in other collections.

Activities of daily living

Activities include dressing, driving, showering, bathing or eating.

Index of socio-economic advantage and disadvantage

This is one of four Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFAs) compiled by the ABS following each Census of Population and Housing. It is a continuum of advantage (high values) to disadvantage (low values) which is derived from Census variables related to both advantage and disadvantage, like household with low income and people with a tertiary education. A low score indicates relatively greater disadvantage and a lack of advantage in general and a high score indicates a relative lack of disadvantage and greater advantage in general.

Long-term health condition

A long-term health condition is a health condition that is expected to last or has lasted 6 months or more and has been diagnosed by a health professional. Respondents were specifically asked whether they had any of the following conditions:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• effects of a stroke
• cancer
• asthma
• chronic lung disease
• osteoporosis or low bone density
• arthritis
• mental health condition
• Alzheimer's disease or dementia
• moderate or severe pain

Medicare Enrolment Database (MEDB)

The Medicare Enrolment Database includes listings of people who are registered to receive Medicare benefits in Australia.

Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item numbers

GP visits for the purposes of the Coordination of Health Care study comprise all MBS items in:

• Group A1 – general practitioner attendance to which no other item applies
• Group A2 – other non-referred attendances to which no other item applies
• Group A5 – prolonged attendances to which no other item applies
• Group A6 – group therapy
• Group A7 – acupuncture
• Group A11 – urgent attendances after-hours
• Group A14 – health assessments
• Group A15, subgroup 1 – GP management plans, team care arrangements and multidisciplinary care plans
• Group A15, subgroup 2 – Items 735–758 - multidisciplinary case conference – medical practitioner (other than specialist or consultant physician)
• Group A17 – domiciliary and residential management reviews
• Group A18 – general practitioner attendance associated with PIP incentive payments
• Group A19 – other non-referred attendances associated with PIP incentive payments to which no other item applies
• Group A20 – general practitioner mental health treatment
• Group A22 – general practitioner after-hours attendances to which no other item applies
• Group A23 – other non-referred after-hours attendances to which no other item applies
• Group A27 – pregnancy support counselling
• Group A30 – medical practitioner telehealth attendances.

For further information of these and other MBS item numbers, please see the MBS Online webpage: http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Home

Medications

Includes all vitamins, pain killers and medications taken on a regular or ongoing basis, whether or not they were recommended by a health professional.

Primary Health Network (PHN)

Primary Health Networks have been established with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes, and improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. The corresponding geographic areas are referred to as Primary Health Networks. For further information on PHNs, please see the Health webpage: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/PHN-Home

Remoteness Areas

Broad geographical regions that share common characteristics of remoteness based on the Remoteness Structure of the ABS's Australian Statistical Geographical Standard. The classification includes a Remoteness Structure which divides Australia into six broad regions called Remoteness Areas. The purpose of the Remoteness Structure is to provide a classification for the release of statistics that inform policy development by classifying Australia into large regions that share common characteristics of remoteness, based on physical distance from services.

Self-assessed health status

A person's general assessment of their own health against a five point scale from excellent through to poor.

Specialist doctors

A specialist doctor requires a referral from a doctor. This does not include specialist doctors that were seen overnight in hospital. Examples of specialist doctors include dermatologists, cardiologists, neurologists and gynaecologists.

Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3)

The SA3s provide a standardised regional breakup of Australia. The aim of SA3s is to create a standard framework for the analysis of ABS data at the regional level through clustering groups of SA2s that have similar regional characteristics. SA3s are built from whole SA2s and aggregate directly to SA4s in the Main Structure. SA3s do not cross State and Territory borders. These boundaries generally reflect a combination of widely recognised informal regions as well as existing administrative regions such as State Government Regions in rural areas and Local Government Areas in urban areas.

Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4)

The SA4 regions are the largest sub-State regions in the Main Structure of the ASGS. They are designed for the output of labour force data and reflect labour markets within each State and Territory within the population limits imposed by the Labour Force Survey sample. SA4s provide the best sub-state socio-economic breakdown in the ASGS and in rural areas generally represent aggregations of multiple small labour markets with socioeconomic connections or similar industry characteristics.

SA4s are built from whole SA3s and aggregate directly to State/Territory in the Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas. SA4s do not cross State and Territory borders.