The number of hospital separations with a procedure for cataract surgery, per 1,000,000 First Nations people: Measure 3.4

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Hospitalisations reflect both the occurrence in the population of eye conditions which are serious enough to require hospitalisation, as well as access to and use of hospitals services. The cataract surgery rate is calculated per million to align with international standards (Figure 34 and Figure 36).

Latest data

In the 2-year period from 2021–23, there were 8,008 hospitalisations for First Nations people for cataract surgery – a rate of 4,467 per 1,000,000 population. The number of hospitalisations over the 2-year period from 2021–23 was below the estimated annual number of First Nations people needing cataract surgery (17,031) (Figure 34).

Figure 34: Cataract surgery rate, 2019–21 and 2021–23

Notes

  1. Based on any procedure code. 
  2. Includes procedure blocks 193–203. 
  3. Hospitalisations with a care type of Newborn (without qualified days) and records for Hospital boarders and Posthumous organ procurement have been excluded.  
  4. Includes public and private hospitals.

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database

Estimated need for cataract surgery

Need for cataract surgery from 2013–14 to 2022–23 has been estimated based on growth in the First Nations population. Percentage of estimated need met has been calculated based on the number of cataract surgery separations. From 2013–14 to 2022–23 the percent of need met has more than doubled and was over 50% for the first time in 2022–23.

Figure 35: Percent of estimated need for cataract surgery that was met, 2013–14 to 2022–23

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database

Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 36.

By remoteness

In 2021–23, the age-standardised rate of hospitalisations for First Nations people for cataract surgery was highest in Inner and outer regional areas (combined) (8,506 per 1,000,000) (Figure 36 – remoteness).

By jurisdiction

In 2021–23, the jurisdictions with the highest age-standardised hospitalisation rates for cataract surgery for First Nations people were Western Australia (11,211 per 1,000,000), New South Wales (8,661 per 1,000,000) and Tasmania (8,985 per 1,000,000) (Figure 36 – jurisdiction).

By age and Indigenous status

In 2021–23, rates of cataract surgery increased with age and were highest for those aged 75 and over (Figure 36 – population groups).

In 2021–23, the rate of hospitalisations was higher for First Nations people aged 45–54 and 55–64 than for non-Indigenous Australians of the same age. However, at older ages, rates were higher for non-Indigenous Australians than First Nations people. The difference in First Nations and non-Indigenous rates of cataract surgery was greatest for those aged 75 and over (60,110 and 65,176 per 1,000,000, respectively) (Figure 36 – population groups).

By Primary Health Network

In 2021–23, the PHNs with the highest reported rates of hospitalisations for First Nations people for cataract surgery were Country WA (8,299 per 1,000,000) and Murrumbidgee (6,490 per 1,000,000) (Figure 36 – geography).

By roadmap region

In 2021–23, the 7 Roadmap regions that came closest to meeting the estimated need for cataract surgery all met 70% or more of the need. The 4 Roadmap regions with the highest hospitalisation rates for First Nations people for cataract surgery had rates greater than 7,500 per 1,000,000 (Figure 36 – geography).

Time trend

Age-specific hospitalisation rates for First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians for cataract surgery increased in all age-groups from 2015–16 to 2018–19, they then fluctuated, but increased overall between 2018–19 and 2022–23 (Figure 35 – time trend).  

Between 2015–16 and 2018–19, the age-standardised rate for cataract surgery for First Nations people increased from 7,504 to 8,130 per 1,000,000, then fluctuated, but increased overall between 2018–19 and 2022–23 to 9,297 per 1,000,000. The trend line shows a slight rise in the age-standardised cataract surgery rate for First Nations people over this time (Figure 36 – time trend).  

Figure 36: Cataract surgery rate: interactive data

The following extended descriptions are provided to assist people using screen readers. To download the data tables, visit Data.

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