Victorian ambulatory care sensitive conditions - Report 2001-2002

Page content: Foreword | Download document

Foreword

Better access to primary health care prevents unnecessary hospitalisations and improves the health status of the population. Analyses from the Victorian Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs) study identified significant differentials and inequalities in access to the primary health care system in Victoria. It has provided an evidence-based platform for policies that aim to reduce demand on hospital services by offering opportunities for targeted interventions at the Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) level.

This report presents further detailed analysis of ACSCs in Victoria. It delivers timely information for regional and rural health planning by providing evidence on differentials in access to primary health care. It supplies regional and community profiles of ACSCs for community planning and evaluation. The analyses in the report identify gaps in the delivery of primary health care services in rural and regional Victoria. In this way, it offers opportunities for improved planning for public health and health services interventions that can decrease access barriers, improve the adequacy of primary care and reduce demand on the hospital system in Victoria.

Local and regional health planners are challenged by an ever growing array of data and information sources. From a complex maze of materials, they are required to provide an informed assessment of health needs and priorities within their communities. Increasingly, they need to make informed decisions about services under considerable pressure and time constraints.

This report is designed to provide small area-level indicators that have both relevance and application to health planning, especially in the context of Department of Human Services regions and PCPs. The information here is relevant because it fills a major information gap about differentials in the performance of primary care services across the whole State. It has particular application to the context of PCPs because it presents comprehensive information and a set of indicators for use in reviewing appropriate community-based primary care services and evaluating service performance.

As diabetes complications are the leading cause of admissions for ACSCs, detailed analyses of diabetes complications are presented, with regional and community profiles for long and short term complications to support community planning and evaluation.

The presentation of the material has been designed to make complex data accessible. It is hoped that users of this report will engage in a dialogue with colleagues and members of the community about the report content and the many questions raised that are likely to be of importance to the health of Victorians.

Download document

Victorian ambulatory care senstive conditions study - Report 2001-2002 (1.05mb, pdf)

top of page