Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Authoritative Information and Statistics to Promote Better Health and Wellbeing
Dr Ian Holland Secretary Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Dr Holland,
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Bill 2012 (the Inquiry). The AIHW has an active role in collecting, analysing and making publicly available information relating to people with disability and the services they receive. Within this context, this submission to the Inquiry highlights the importance of collecting comprehensive data to support valid policy decisions by governments, and to monitor the costs, service delivery and outcomes of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
AIHW’s Role in Disability Information
The AIHW is a major national agency established by the Australian Parliament under the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Act 1987 to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia’s health and welfare. It is an independent statutory authority, accountable to Parliament via the Health and Ageing portfolio. The AIHW collects and publicly reports information on a wide range of health and welfare-related matters, including disability, ageing, mental health, disease, injury, hospitals, homelessness, housing, child protection, and health and welfare expenditure.
The AIHW has established expertise in disability care and services-related information and has developed a solid understanding of the issues facing people with disability in Australia, in particular regarding recipients of specialist services. The AIHW has administered the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS) since 1994 and has developed the required technical infrastructure, staff expertise and processes for data standards (including data processing, database management, and data reporting) to report annually on this data.
The DS NMDS provides reliable and consistent data on specialist disability services provided under the National Disability Agreement. This data is required for a number of national reporting requirements, including AIHW’s legislated flagship publications Australia’s Health and Australia’s Welfare (the most comprehensive and authoritative sources of national information on health and welfare in Australia), the COAG Reform Council National Disability Agreement and the annual Report on Government Services. The AIHW also publishes a range of other disability-related publications, including Changes in life expectancy and disability in Australia 1998 to 2009 (released 23 November 2012) and The use of health services among Australians with disability (released 30 September 2011).
Ensuring Robust Information for the NDIS
The ATHW’s experience in dealing with statistics across a wide range of existing health and welfare programs suggests the criticality of development of a nationally consistent data
Collection Methodology for Data under the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Collection methodology should be integrated into the planning stages of any new health or welfare program to facilitate evaluation and monitoring of initiatives. A comprehensive nationally consistent data collection must form part of the NDIS framework in order to effectively manage it and enable informed judgements regarding its success.
In respect of the operation of the NDIS legislation, such collections provide an essential basis for:
e the day-to-day management of the scheme
- providing potential information sources on available services and high-performing service agencies (similarly as provided through MyHospitals: www.myhospitals.gov.au)
- accountability and transparency satisfying public expectations about reporting effectiveness from billion-dollar programs
- answering policy questions supporting effective delivery of services
- ongoing evaluations whether the legislation meets key objectives including populating performance indicators relating use outcomes cost etc.,
- supporting development future evidence-based disability policies.
Implementing comprehensive data reporting processes simultaneously with commencement rather than retrofitting these will also prove critical during reviews concerning operations within the context of the Act itself. Adopt cooperative approaches facilitated via agreed rules governing how national info is collected compiled interpreted reported shared across jurisdictions ensuring consistency throughout all regions involved.
Such strategies need include common standards definitions classifications protocols applicable universally among datasets gathered thereby enabling uniformity between areas over time while promoting reuse reducing duplication facilitating possible linkages amongst diverse origins sectors later down line AIHW has extensive experience here offering leadership roles particularly around developing maintaining metadata electronic online repository METeOR along side active participation in relevant committees nationally focused upon standardization efforts.
We acknowledge not everyone living with disabilities may necessarily fall under NDIS coverage hence articulation stories regarding utilization patterns by individuals regardless if they participate or don’t become vital aspects helping governments grasp overall access levels comprehensively requiring integration multiple systems together towards achieving this goal AIHW eagerly collaborates stakeholders aiming systematic implementation collection procedures accordingly.
Yours sincerely, David Kalisch, Director Australian Institute Of Health And Welfare 25 January 2013