Avoidable mortality

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Avoidable mortality

Chart

Age standardised avoidable mortality rates, by sex, ACT and Australia, 2011 to 2021

  • A potentially avoidable death is one that could have theoretically been avoided for persons aged less than 75 years. The level of avoidable mortality in a population indicates the theoretical scope for future health gain through disease prevention and management. Potentially avoidable deaths are categorised into either a treatable or preventable category. Potentially preventable deaths are those which are amenable to screening and primary prevention, such as immunisation, and reflect the effectiveness of the current preventive health activities of the health sector. Deaths from potentially treatable conditions are those which are amenable to therapeutic interventions, and reflect the safety and quality of the current treatment system 1.  
  • Deaths for 2020 and 2021 are preliminary and are subject to change as they do not include deaths subject to the coronial process.  A coroner may investigate a death if the death is unexpected or violent (such as a homicide and suicide), when the identity is unknown, cause of death is not known or if the person is in care or custody. The coronial process can take several years, particularly where an inquest is held, or complex investigations are being undertaken. Therefore, there is a delay in reporting deaths through this process.
  • Mortality statistics published on ACT HealthStats ACT (unless otherwise specified) are based on the Cause Of Death Unit Record File (CODURF) provided by the Australian Coordinating Registry (ACR) and are reported by year of occurrence.

References

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National Healthcare Agreement: PI 16 – Potentially avoidable deaths, 2022. [Cited 2022 October 27] Available from: http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/598750.

To access the data please click on the "View source data" link at the bottom of the visualisation. This link will open up a data table that you can download. 

The data contained in this dataset is based on the Cause Of Death Unit Record File (CODURF) provided by the Australian Coordinating Registry (ACR), the data has been aggregated based on either a single or grouped ICD-10* classification.

The ACT deaths data is collected and maintained by the ACT registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (ACT RBDM), which records all medical conditions that directly caused or contributed to the death and were applicable, ie the circumstances surrounding a death (eg. motor vehicle accident). 

The National Coronial Information System (NCIS) records and stores information relating to coroner  certified deaths for the purposes of retrieval, analysis, interpretation and dissemination to allow for informed death and injury prevention activities.

The Australian Coordinating Registry (ACR) is an agency appointed by state and territory RBDMs and coroners to coordinate and manage approval of coded deaths data. 

*The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems Tenth Revision

Avoidable mortality codes are as defined in the Australian National Healthcare Agreement: PI 16- Potentially avoidable deaths, 19/06/2019. METeOR identifier: 698908