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Health care variation: time to act
Author(s) -
Buchan Heather A,
Duggan Anne,
Hargreaves Jenny,
Scott Ian A,
Slawomirski Luke
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja15.01360
Subject(s) - variation (astronomy) , health care , residence , geographic variation , equity (law) , medical prescription , medicine , regional variation , family medicine , nursing , demography , environmental health , business , political science , sociology , population , physics , astrophysics , law , advertising
Summary Geographic variation in health care use has been demonstrated in many countries over many years. Such variation can be warranted — in response to patient need or preference for care — or unwarranted. Unwarranted variation raises concerns about equity and appropriateness of care. Recent analyses of health care provision in the Australian atlas of healthcare variation show that when routinely available Australian data are mapped by residence of patient, there are wide variations in rates of use of diagnostic tests, dispensing of prescriptions for a range of indications, surgical procedures and hospital admission rates. Despite the wealth of studies demonstrating variation in care internationally, there is relatively little research that explores the best ways of responding to unwarranted variation. Recommendations for action in the Australian Atlas focus on some approaches that could be used in Australia.