Where was Australia in 2018?
Australians ranked amongst the healthiest in the world with our health system one of the most efficient and equitable.
However, the nation's strong health outcomes hid a few alarming facts:
- Australians spent on average 11 years in ill health - the highest among OECD countries
- 63% (over 11 million) of adult Australians were considered overweight or obese
- There was a 10-year life expectancy gap between the health of non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- 60% of the adult population had low levels of health literacy
- The majority of Australians were not consuming the recommended number of serves from any of the five food groups.
What were the key challenges?
Changing national health profile
Increasing needs to support the ageing and the rise of chronic disease required ongoing resources and investment. A requirement flagged as likely to compete with emerging impacts of climate change, biosecurity threats and the rise of rare diseases.
Inequity in access and experience
Improvements in national health outcomes require providing access to quality health services for all Australians.
Consumer behaviour and trust
Consumers were demanding more from their healthcare experiences and embracing new technology for low-risk decision making relating to their health.
Adjusting to an increasingly digital world
Trust in data sharing, digital and health literacy, data ownership, system interoperability, and Australia's current digital infrastructure presented as key barriers to a more integrated and data-enabled health system.
Fragmented and inflexible health systems
Barriers to an integrated health services model included multiple and complex funding arrangements, siloed data streams, ever‑evolving regulatory requirements, and dated infrastructure.
Unsustainable financing
Healthcare costs and the dependency ratio continued to rise, placing significant financial pressure on all stakeholders. Some solutions were gaining traction, but needed significant changes to financing structures, cultures, and expensive initial outlays.
A shift in focus for Australia's health system
Based on the 2018 data, five key enablers were identified in this report:
- Empowered customers
- Addressing health inequity
- Unlocking the value of digitised data
- Supporting integrated and precision health solutions
- Integrating with the global sector
You can read more below:
Where was Australia in 2018?
Australians ranked amongst the healthiest in the world with our health system one of the most efficient and equitable.
However, the nation's strong health outcomes hid a few alarming facts:
- Australians spent on average 11 years in ill health - the highest among OECD countries
- 63% (over 11 million) of adult Australians were considered overweight or obese
- There was a 10-year life expectancy gap between the health of non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- 60% of the adult population had low levels of health literacy
- The majority of Australians were not consuming the recommended number of serves from any of the five food groups.
What were the key challenges?
Changing national health profile
Increasing needs to support the ageing and the rise of chronic disease required ongoing resources and investment. A requirement flagged as likely to compete with emerging impacts of climate change, biosecurity threats and the rise of rare diseases.
Inequity in access and experience
Improvements in national health outcomes require providing access to quality health services for all Australians.
Consumer behaviour and trust
Consumers were demanding more from their healthcare experiences and embracing new technology for low-risk decision making relating to their health.
Adjusting to an increasingly digital world
Trust in data sharing, digital and health literacy, data ownership, system interoperability, and Australia's current digital infrastructure presented as key barriers to a more integrated and data-enabled health system.
Fragmented and inflexible health systems
Barriers to an integrated health services model included multiple and complex funding arrangements, siloed data streams, ever‑evolving regulatory requirements, and dated infrastructure.
Unsustainable financing
Healthcare costs and the dependency ratio continued to rise, placing significant financial pressure on all stakeholders. Some solutions were gaining traction, but needed significant changes to financing structures, cultures, and expensive initial outlays.
A shift in focus for Australia's health system
Based on the 2018 data, five key enablers were identified in this report:
- Empowered customers
- Addressing health inequity
- Unlocking the value of digitised data
- Supporting integrated and precision health solutions
- Integrating with the global sector
You can read more below: