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Chronic kidney disease

Hospitalisations

Measures



  • Number of hospitalisations (excluding dialysis) that were for chronic kidney disease (CKD).

  • Age-standardised rate (per 1,000) of hospitalisations (excluding dialysis) for CKD.


Available by



  • Sex: males, females, persons.

  • Indigenous status: First Nations, non-Indigenous.


Data period


2017–18 to 2021–22


Data sources



  • National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD).

  • ABS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections (series B) based on the 2016 Census.


Region types



  • Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4).

  • Indigenous structure: Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression



  • Data have been suppressed if the number is less than 5 for the Australian Capital Territory and between 1 and 4 for the other states and territories. Where required, consequential suppression has been applied to prevent back-calculation.

  • Data have been suppressed due to concerns about data volatility: for age-standardised rates when the total number of hospitalisations across all ages is less than 20 or when the denominator of any age-specific rates is less than 30.


Notes



  • Hospitalisations due to CKD are based on the principal diagnosis with the International Classification of Disease 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes: E102, E112, E132, E142, I150, I151, N391, N392, D593, B520, E853, T824, T861, Z490, Z940, Z992, I12, I13, N11, N12, N14, N15, N16, N18, N19, N00-N08, N25-N28, Q60-Q63.

  • Data were five financial years combined, based on usual residence of the patient – not on location of the hospital.

  • Except for the Australian Capital Territory, data at the SA4 level were aggregated from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) by truncating the digits of the SA2 codes. For the Australian Capital Territory, the state and SA4 data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundary.

  • Except for the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania, data at the IREG level were aggregated from SA2s by using ABS Indigenous population-weighted geographic correspondences. For the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania, the state and IREG data were identical as they pertained to the same geographic boundaries.

  • For the denominator of rates, First Nations population estimates were modelled by the AIHW using ABS population estimates and projections (series B) based on the 2016 Census. Population estimates for non-Indigenous Australians were derived by subtracting First Nations population estimates from the total Australian estimated resident population.

  • Age-standardised rates were calculated using five-year age groups up to 75+ and the 2001 Australian standard population.

  • Given the differences in the age structure between the First Nations and non-Indigenous Australian populations, age-standardised rates are used when comparing the two populations.

  • Hospitalisations with the care types “newborn with unqualified days only” (7.3), “organ procurement - posthumous” (9) or “hospital boarder” (10) were excluded from the analysis.

  • Hospitalisations where Indigenous status was not stated (code 9) were excluded from the analysis.

  • Hospitalisations where the first five digits of SA2 codes were 10702 or 12402 were excluded from the analysis.

Self-reported kidney disease (Census)

Measures



  • Number of First Nations people who reported being diagnosed with kidney disease.

  • Proportion (%) of First Nations people who reported being diagnosed with kidney disease.


Available by



  • Sex: males, females, persons.

  • Age group: 0–14, 15–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65 and over.


Data period


Census night (10 August) 2021.


Data source


Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing (Census) (ABS 2022).


Region types



  • Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4).

  • Indigenous structure: Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression



  • Data have been suppressed if the denominator for the percentage is less than 100, due to concerns about the reliability of percentages based on small denominators.

  • Data have been suppressed if long-term health condition is not stated for >50% of the relevant population, due to relatively high exposure to potential bias.

  • Data have been flagged if long-term health condition is not stated for 25%–50% of the relevant population, due to relatively high exposure to potential bias.


Notes



  • Count of long-term health condition data is derived from responses to the long-term health conditions question: ‘has the person been told by a doctor or nurse that they have any of these long-term health conditions?’.

  • This was a new question for the 2021 ABS Census of Population and Housing.

  • Data have been randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality. No reliance should be placed on small numbers.

Dialysis and Transplant Registry

Measures



  • Number of First Nations people receiving kidney replacement therapy.

  • Rate (per 1,000,000) of First Nations people receiving kidney replacement therapy.


Data period


2021


Data source


Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA).


Region types



  • Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4).

  • Indigenous structure: Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression



  • Data have been suppressed if the number is between 1 and 4 for confidentiality reasons. Where required, consequential suppression has been applied to prevent back-calculation.

  • Crude rates are suppressed where the population in an area is less than 100.


Notes



  • The ANZDATA 2021 prevalence dataset contains records for patients who were known to be alive and receiving kidney replacement therapy as of 31 December 2021.

  • Subnational geographical levels (states and territories; Statistical Areas Level 4 [SA4s] 2021; and Indigenous Regions [IREGs] 2021) are based on the patient's current postcode.

  • First Nations population weighted correspondences were used to convert postcodes to 2021 SA4s and 2021 IREGs.

  • Denominators for calculating crude rates are sourced from ABS Final 2021 Census-based estimated resident population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians for various geographies released on 31 Aug 2023.

Measures



  • Total number of First Nations people receiving dialysis.

  • Rate (per 1,000,000) of First Nations people receiving dialysis.


Data period


2021


Data source


Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA).


Region types



  • Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4).

  • Indigenous structure: Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression



  • Data have been suppressed if the number is between 1 and 4 for confidentiality reasons. Where required, consequential suppression has been applied to prevent back-calculation.

  • Crude rates are suppressed where the population in an area is less than 100.


Notes



  • Dialysis is an artificial method of removing waste products and water from the blood as well as regulating levels of circulating chemicals. There are 2 main forms of dialysis: haemodialysis (which occurs outside the body via a machine) and peritoneal dialysis (which occurs inside the patient’s body via the lining of the abdominal cavity).

  • The ANZDATA 2021 prevalence dataset contains records for patients who were known to be alive and receiving kidney replacement therapy as of 31 December 2021.

  • Subnational geographical levels (states and territories; Statistical Areas Level 4 [SA4s] 2021; and Indigenous Regions [IREGs] 2021) are based on the patient's current postcode.

  • First Nations population weighted correspondences were used to convert postcodes to 2021 SA4s and 2021 IREGs.

  • Denominators for calculating crude rates are sourced from ABS Final 2021 Census-based estimated resident population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians for various geographies released on 31 Aug 2023.

Measures



  • Number of First Nations people receiving dialysis, by dialysis type.

  • Rate (per 1,000,000) of First Nations people receiving dialysis, by dialysis type.

  • Proportion (%) of First Nations people receiving dialysis by dialysis type.


Dialysis type categories



  • Home haemodialysis

  • Hospital haemodialysis

  • Satellite haemodialysis

  • Peritoneal haemodialysis


Data period


2021


Data source


Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA).


Region types



  • Main structure: Australia, states and territories, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4).

  • Indigenous structure: Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression



  • Data have been suppressed if the number is between 1 and 4 for confidentiality reasons. Where required, consequential suppression has been applied to prevent back-calculation.

  • Crude rates are suppressed where the population in an area is less than 100.


Notes



  • Haemodialysis is a form of dialysis where a machine is connected to a person’s bloodstream to filter the blood externally. During haemodialysis, the patient is usually connected to the machine for about 4–5 hours 3 times per week, when all their blood passes through the machine about 6 times. Home haemodialysis is haemodialysis performed at home where patients may have the option of dialysing more frequently for a shorter period (5–7 times per week for about 2 hours) or nocturnally (6 nights per week for about 8 hours). During a haemodialysis session the patient is unable to move away from the machine, though they can sleep and perform activities such as reading, talking, or using a computer.

  • Peritoneal dialysis is a form of dialysis where a solution is pumped into the abdominal cavity where the body’s own peritoneum membrane acts as a dialysis filter to remove waste products and water. As the necessary equipment is portable, peritoneal dialysis can be performed almost anywhere. Patients do not need to be in a hospital or clinic, and can usually manage the procedure without assistance.

  • The ANZDATA 2021 prevalence dataset contains records for patients who were known to be alive and receiving kidney replacement therapy as of 31 December 2021.

  • Subnational geographical levels (states and territories; Statistical Areas Level 4 [SA4s] 2021; and Indigenous Regions [IREGs] 2021) are based on the patient's current postcode.

  • First Nations population weighted correspondences were used to convert postcodes to 2021 SA4s and 2021 IREGs.

  • a. not applicable for the percentage of all dialysis patients when the number of all dialysis patients is 0.

  • Denominators for calculating crude rates are sourced from ABS Final 2021 Census-based estimated resident population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians for various geographies released on 31 Aug 2023.

References

ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2022) Census of Population and Housing [TableBuilder], ABS website, accessed 12 May 2023.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2019) Data quality statement: Admitted Patient Care 2017–18, AIHW website, accessed 20 November 2023.

AIHW (2016) Data quality statement: National Hospital Morbidity Database 2014–15, AIHW website, accessed 29 January 2021.

Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) (2016) Data Set Specification: ANZDATA – Version 2021.2, ANZDATA website, accessed 21 November 2023.

MyHopsitals – About the data, Data quality statements – National Hospital Morbidity Database, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22, AIHW website, accessed 20 November 2023.