USUAL AND PREFERRED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

Definition

This topic covers details on where the respondent usually seeks treatment and or advice about their own health.

Population

Information was collected for all persons in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS).

Methodology

Respondents were asked if there is a place where they usually go when they are sick or need advice about their own health.

Respondents who answered 'Yes' were then asked about the kind of place they visit. Respondents could choose one response from the following list:

• Aboriginal Medical Service
• Hospital
• Doctor/GP (other than from Aboriginal Medical Service or hospital)
• Traditional healer
• Community clinic
• Other.

Respondents who selected 'Doctor/GP' were asked if this doctor was in an Aboriginal Medical Serivce.

Respondents were further asked whether they always go to the same place, which of the above places were available in their local area, and where the respondent would like to go if they had a problem with their own health.

Data items

The data items and related output categories for this topic will be available in Excel spreadsheet format from the Downloads page of this product.

Interpretation

Points to be considered in interpreting data for this topic:

• The list of specific health care providers may have posed problems for those who were confused between an Aboriginal Medical Service and a Community clinic, or for those who simply did not know the kind of provider they usually visited.
• Some respondents may not have known which providers were available in their local area.

Comparability with 2004-05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)

Data for common items are not considered directly comparable between the 2004-05 NATSIHS and the 2012-13 NATSIHS. The 2004-05 NATSIHS included 'Doesn't usually seek health care' in the list of health care providers, while the 2012-13 NATSIHS excluded this category but instead included 'Community clinic' in the list of providers.

Comparability with 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)

Data for common items are not considered directly comparable between the 2008 NATSISS and the 2012-13 NATSIHS. The 2008 NATSISS included a question about health care providers which was only asked for children aged 0 to 14 years of age. The question in the 2008 NATSISS identified additional health care providers compared to those listed in the 2012-13 NATSIHS question, thus the questions are not considered comparable.

Comparability with the 2011-12 National Health Survey (NHS)

Usual and preferred health care provider information was not collected in the 2011-12 NHS.

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