Democratising data to address health system inequities in Australia

Autor: Fintan Thompson, Sarah Larkins, Stephanie M Topp, Ruth Barker, Karen Johnston, Nishila Moodley, Alexandra Edelman, Deborah Smith, Malcolm McDonald, Maxine Whittaker, Christopher Rouen
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMJ Global Health, Vol 8, Iss 5 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2059-7908
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012094
Popis: Understanding the health status of a population or community is crucial to equitable service planning. Among other uses, data on health status can help local and national planners and policy makers understand patterns and trends in current or emerging health and well-being, especially how disparities relating to geography, ethnicity, language and living with disability influence access to services. In this practice paper we draw attention to the nature of Australia’s health data challenges and call for greater ‘democratisation’ of health data to address health system inequities. Democratisation implies the need for greater quality and representativeness of health data as well as improved access and usability that enable health planners and researchers to respond to health and health service disparities efficiently and cost-effectively. We draw on learnings from two practice examples, marred by inaccessibility, reduced interoperability and limited representativeness. We call for renewed and urgent attention to, and investment in, improved data quality and usability for all levels of health, disability and related service delivery in Australia.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals