15 years

Count of regular clients who are Indigenous, aged 15 years and over and who have had their alcohol consumption status recorded at the primary health care service within the previous 24 months.

‘Regular client’ refers to a client of an Australian Government Department of Health-funded primary health care service (that is required to report against the Indigenous primary health care key performance indicators) who has an active medical record; that is, a client who has attended the Department of Health-funded primary health care service at least 3 times in 2 years.

Alcohol consumption status has been recorded if the health service has either:

a) A record of whether the client consumes alcohol or;

b) A record specifying the amount and frequency of the client's alcohol consumption

Results arising from measurements conducted outside of the service, that are known by the service, are included in the calculation of this indicator.

Operationalisation of alcohol consumption status:

Where an Indigenous regular client’s alcohol consumption status does not have an assessment date assigned within the Patient Information Record System (PIRS), alcohol consumption status as recorded in the PIRS should be treated as current (i.e. as having been updated within the previous 24 months).

Presented as a number.

Numerator only.

Number of regular clients who are Indigenous, aged 15 years and over and who have had their alcohol consumption status recorded at the primary health care service within the previous 24 months.

1. Sex:
a) Male
b) Female

2. Age:
a) 15-24 years
b) 25-34 years
c) 35-44 years
d) 45-54 years
e) 55-64 years
f) 65 years and over

Additional work is required on an agreed definition for 'alcohol consumption', particularly if this metadata item is to be linked to an indicator of the number or proportion of regular clients recorded as at risk of long-term harm from alcohol consumption.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Australian Government Department of Health