Measuring health disparities in Australia: Using data to drive health promotion solutions

Data and information used in the reporting of Australia's health and well-being is of particular interest for those populations who experience ongoing social injustices and compounding health disparities. For people living in rural and remote areas, this includes experiences of poorer health outcomes and lower access to health care services compared to those living in major cities, as well as shortages of health care professionals and disjointed economic investments. In addition to the known, existing disparities experienced by rural and remote Australians, there is also inequitable investment of federally funded research into health within the region. People living in rural and remote Australia comprise about 30% of the national population. This includes almost 63% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, compared to about 27% of non-Indigenous people. To identify priorities and monitor progress, data are the important and necessary tool in the measurement and monitoring of determinants and disparities in health, disease burden and outcomes, as well informing health care services access. To extend and develop appropriate health policies and practices, accurate, high-quality data from multiple sources are often used. However, there are a number of critical discussions that require our attention when data are used to describe disparities between and within populations in Australia. This includes, the ever-evolving data ecosystem, key challenges in the measurement of health disparities in rural and remote regions, as well as some considerations required when using data pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.