Australian Health Performance Framework: PI 2.1.3c–Cancer screening rates, National Cervical Screening Program participation rate, 2021
Indicator Attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes | |
Metadata item type: | Indicator |
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Indicator type: | Indicator |
Short name: | AHPF PI 2.1.3c–National Cervical Screening Program participation rate, 2021 |
Synonymous names: | NCSP participation rate |
METEOR identifier: | 772770 |
Registration status: | Health, Standard 07/09/2023 |
Description: | Rates of cervical screening for women in the national target age group during the defined 5 year period. |
Rationale: | In Australia, primary prevention of cervical cancer is through vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the primary underlying cause of cervical cancer. Secondary prevention is by cervical screening, though the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP), to detect and treat abnormalities while they are in the precancerous stage, prior to any possible progression to cervical cancer. Prior to 1 December 2017, detection of precancerous abnormalities through cervical screening used cytology from the Papanicolaou smear, or 'Pap test', as the screening test. A renewed NCSP was introduced in 2017 that included a change from 2-yearly Pap tests for the target age group 20–69 to 5-yearly Cervical Screening Tests (CST) for the target age group 25–74. A CST is a human papillomavirus (HPV) test, followed by a liquid-based cytology (LBC) test if oncogenic (cancer-causing) HPV is found. Participation is a major indicator of the performance of the NCSP. High participation in screening is required for the NCSP to achieve its aim of reducing cervical cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality, by detecting and treating cervical abnormalities that could otherwise develop into cervical cancer. Participation is measured over a 5-year period in line with the current recommended screening interval. |
Indicator set: | Australian Health Performance Framework, 2021 Health, Standard 11/07/2023 |
Collection and usage attributes | |
Population group age from: | 25 years |
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Population group age to: | 74 years |
Computation description: | The denominator is adjusted to exclude the estimated number of women who have had a hysterectomy, using national hysterectomy fractions. Age-standardised rates are directly age-standardised to the 2001 Australian population. Analysis by Primary Health Network (PHN), remoteness and Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) is based on postcode of residential address at the time of screening. Presented as a percentage. |
Computation: | 100 × (Numerator ÷ Denominator) |
Numerator: | Number of women aged 25–74 who have been screened in a 5-year period. |
Numerator data elements: | |
Denominator: | Population of women aged 25–74 in each state and territory, geographic region, socio-economic status and Australia, using Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimated resident population (ERP) for females at 30 June, averaged over the relevant 5 years by age group and adjusted for the estimated proportion of women who have had a hysterectomy |
Denominator data elements: | |
Disaggregation: | 2018, 2018–2021—Nationally by
2018–2021 state and territory. 2018–2020 Primary Health Network (PHN). Data are presented as numbers of participants and participation rates (percentage) including age-specific and age-standardised rates.
Some disaggregation may result in numbers too small for publication. Disaggregation by socio-economic status and by remoteness area use the 2016 version of SEIFA. |
Disaggregation data elements: | |
Comments: | Most recent data available for 2021 Australian Health Performance Framework reporting: 2018–2021. These are preliminary estimates until the 5-year screening period is completed in the future. |
Representational attributes | |
Representation class: | Percentage |
Data type: | Real |
Unit of measure: | Person |
Format: | NN.N |
Indicator conceptual framework | |
Framework and dimensions: | 1. Effectiveness |
Data source attributes | |
Data sources: | |
Accountability attributes | |
Reporting requirements: | Australian Health Performance Framework |
Organisation responsible for providing data: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
Accountability: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
Source and reference attributes | |
Submitting organisation: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
Reference documents: | AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2022. National Cervical Screening Program data dictionary: version 1.1.Cat. no. CAN 146. Canberra https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer-screening/ncsp-cervical-screening-data-dictionary-v1-1/summary
AIHW 2022. National Cervical Screening Program monitoring report 2022. Cancer series no XX. Cat. no. CAN 149. Canberra: AIHW https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer-screening/national-cervical-screening-monitoring-2022/summary |
Relational attributes | |
Related metadata references: | Supersedes Australian Health Performance Framework: PI 2.1.3c–Cancer screening rates, National Cervical Screening Program participation rate, 2020 Health, Superseded 07/09/2023 Has been superseded by Australian Health Performance Framework: PI 2.1.3c–Cancer screening rates, National Cervical Screening Program participation rate, 2024 Health, Recorded 28/02/2024 |