Heart disease, hospitalisation and referral: Coaching to Achieving Cardiovascular Health through cardiac rehabilitation in Queensland

OBJECTIVES: To describe rates of hospitalisation and Coaching on Achieving Cardiovascular Health referral, for Queensland's adults with heart and related disease, and comparisons between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples in northern Queensland. DESIGN: Descriptive retrospective epidemiological study of Queensland Health Patient Admission Data Collection for adults with heart and related disease, and Coaching on Achieving Cardiovascular Health referral data. Relative risk and age standardisation were calculated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples. PARTICIPANTS: Queensland's adults ≥20 years, hospitalised with heart and related disease (1 January 2012-31 December 2016). SETTING: Queensland, Australia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Queensland Health Hospital and Health Services' hospitalisation and Coaching on Achieving Cardiovascular Health referral rates for heart and related disease. RESULTS: Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a higher hospitalisation rate for heart and related disease, with higher rates for northern Queensland. Queensland's overall Coaching on Achieving Cardiovascular Health referral rates were low, but higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Deficiencies in documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's status affected results in some areas. CONCLUSION: Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were more likely to be admitted to hospital for heart and related disease and referred to Coaching on Achieving Cardiovascular Health than non-Indigenous peoples. However, hospitalisation and Coaching on Achieving Cardiovascular Health referral rates are unlikely to reflect the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples especially in rural and very remote areas given their higher mortality and morbidity rates and fewer services.