Historical publications

Insights into the utilisation of health services in Australia based on linked administrative data. Occasional Papers New Series Number 9

This project, initiated in 1996, is a first step towards transforming isolated health data sets (such as the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data, Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS) data and hospital morbidity data (HMD)) into information that may be used to inform policy.

Government health agencies have been rich in data, but poor in organised, useful information. A joint project between the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services and the Health Department of Western Australia was established in February 1997. This project involved the exchange of Western Australian HMD and Commonwealth MBS and PBS data for Western Australia. As part of the 1997 Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care budget arrangements, funds were allocated to establish a research and analysis section within the then Portfolio Strategies Group to conduct this research into ‘cross program data.’

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Please note that the information and data in this paper, while accurate at the time of publication, may now be out of date. Care should therefore be taken in using it.