COORDINATION OF HEALTH CARE


The coordination of a person's health care is an important factor in ensuring the best possible health outcomes.

In 2015-16, one in six people (16%) aged 15 years and over saw three or more health professionals for the same condition. This had decreased from 18% in 2014-15. Females were more likely than males to have seen three or more health professionals for the same condition (19% compared with 13%), which had also decreased since 2014-15 (21% and 15% respectively). See Tables 1 and 2.2 in Downloads.



The proportion of people who saw three or more health professionals for the same condition generally increased with age. Around one in five people (21%) aged 65 years and over had seen three or more health professionals for the same condition, compared with one in seven people aged 15-64 years (15%). People with a long term health condition were more likely to have seen three or more health professionals for the same condition than those without (26% compared with 7%). See Tables 23.2 and 24.2 in Downloads.

Of those who saw three or more health professionals for the same condition, seven in ten people (70%) reported that a health professional helped coordinate their care. For these people, a GP was most likely to coordinate care (61%), followed by a medical specialist (24%). Both of these were similar to 2014-15. Of those who received coordination of care, 97% reported that it was helpful, either to a large extent (70%) or to some extent (27%). See Table 22 in Downloads.

Among those who saw three or more health professionals for the same condition, 13% reported that there were issues caused by a lack of communication between the health professionals. Those with a long term health condition were more likely than those without to report issues caused by a lack of communication between health professionals (14% compared with 10%). Those living in outer regional, remote or very remote areas were more likely to report having issues caused by a lack of communication between health professionals than those living in major cities (18% compared with 12%). These patterns were similar in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. See Table 24.2 in Downloads.