Examination of cataract surgical data: Is access equity improving for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Persisting inequity in access to eye care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians has been well documented. Over the past decade, a number of frameworks and initiatives have worked towards improving access to eye care, though inconsistent data reporting and availability makes it challenging to form a coherent overview of actual increases in access, and progress towards the population-based needs. The paper will present an improved understanding of access to cataract surgery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Method(s) Publicly available cataract surgical data over the past decade, including Medicare statistics, public hospital data, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare annual Indigenous Eye Health Measures reports, state health data, and past analyses in the literature, is combined and analysed to present an overview of existing surgical delivery and access and a more nuanced consideration of cataract surgery needs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Result(s) Large variance has been identified across jurisdictions, across public and private settings, and across remoteness levels, suggesting significant differences in access. The combined analysis highlights challenges in access for cataract surgeries in metropolitan areas. Finally, impacts of COVID-19 on service provision and the existing backlog is considered. Conclusion(s) Differing access rates provide an ongoing challenge to organised ophthalmology, as well as the wider eye care sector and national, state and territorylevel programs and policies. The shared goal is to best support increasing the cataract surgery rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to populationbased needs.