Eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2024: interactive data

The number and proportion of First Nation people who had a First Nations-specific health assessment and had an eye examination: Measure 2.1.2

This measure includes in-person health assessments (Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item 715 or 228) and assessments provided via videoconference or teleconference (MBS item 92004, 92011, 92016, 92023), and who also had an initial eye examination by an optometrist.

Latest data

In 2022–23, just over 1 in 20 (49,995 or 5.5%) First Nations people had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist (Figure 15).

Figure 15: Annual health assessments and initial eye examination by an optometrist, 2021–22 and 2022–23

Notes

1. 'MBS health assessment' includes MBS items 715 and 228.
2. Includes telehealth assessments (items 92004, 92011, 92016 and 92023).
3. Counts have been adjusted to avoid double counting patients across age groupings, geographical classifications and assessment types.
4. Data are reported by date of service.

Source: AIHW analysis of Medical Benefits Schedule data.

By remoteness

In 2022–23, the proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist was highest in Inner regional and Outer regional areas (5.8% and 6.6%, respectively). The proportion was 5.5% in Major cities and 4.8% in Remote areas. It was lowest in Very remote areas (3.6%) (Figure 16 – remoteness).

By jurisdiction

In 2022–23, the proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist was highest in Queensland (6.9%) and New South Wales (6.1%) (Figure 16 – jurisdiction). 

By age and sex

In 2022–23, health assessments and initial eye examinations for First Nations females outnumbered those for First Nations males across all age groups, although differences were very small for age groups 0–14 and 75 and over (Figure 16 – population groups).

By Primary Health Network

In 2022–23, the Primary Health Networks (PHN) with the highest proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist were in Brisbane North and Brisbane South (both slightly over 8%) (Figure 16 – geography).

Time trend

The age-specific proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment and an initial eye examination by an optometrist increased from less than 1% in 2011–12 for all age groups 44 years and under to around 3–45% in 2022–23. The proportion of First Nations people in all age groups aged 45 and over who had a health assessment rose from around 2–5% in 2011–12 to around 9–23% in 2022–23 (Figure 16 – time trend).

Between 2011–12 and 2022–23, the age-standardised proportion of First Nations people who had a health assessment (including a telehealth assessment) and an initial eye examination by an optometrist increased from around 1% in 2011–12 to around 7% in 2022–23 (Figure 16 – time trend).

Figure 16: Annual health assessments and initial eye examination by an optometrist: interactive data