Page 149 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 2

IPS193 Michael Beahan
MADIP is an information asset still in its formative years yet already this
unique combination of previously disparate data sources is providing unique
insights.

Cases Studies

People living in remote areas are less than half as likely to access a mental
health service
Policies and services can only be as effective as the information
underpinning them, and it was identified that there was a critical gap in
Australia’s understanding of people accessing mental health-related services
and prescriptions. Using data integration, it has been possible to fill in that
gap without needing to carry out another round of surveys.
The Mental Health Services and Census project integrates public health
data and census data, and has contributed significantly to the pool of mental
health-related research data in Australia. This data is being used in the
development and evaluation of mental health programs and support services
now and into the future. Questions can be answered about people accessing
subsidised mental health-related services and medications with evidence that
up until now has not been available. For example, the enhanced Census data
was critical in informing the 2014 National Review of Mental Health
Programmes and Services Report and helped join the dots between mental
health-related services, medication use, and key demographic information
such as education, employment and housing.
One important insight from the data suggested that when accessing
mental health services, people with less education, the unemployed, and those
living in rural areas are more likely to be prescribed drugs, while more
educated and city-based patients were more likely to be prescribed talking-
based therapies. This data enables government to understand the
inconsistency, and create policies to address it.
For Dr Paul Jelfs, General Manager of the Population & Social Statistics
Division at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the project has improved our
capacity to support people with mental health issues. Quoting Paul, “If you’re
running a mental health service, your service will be more effective if you
understand the employment and education characteristics of patients in your
area.”
In this study, 2011 Census data was enhanced with the reuse of
administrative information from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and
the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The National Mental Health
Commission approached the ABS to integrate this data, and the data was
processed in a confidential secure facility, with personal privacy and
confidentiality guaranteed by law.

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