Quality of HACC Aboriginal client data

1
Quality of HACC Aboriginal client data
Eve Kelly Justin McDermott HACC and Assessment
Unit
2
Purpose of project

• To evaluate the quality of HACC MDS regarding
  accurate identification of Aboriginal clients
• To give feedback to agencies
• Wrong figures false picture of people and
  services

3
Findings

• There is an undercount
• Aboriginal clients not identified as Aboriginal
• There is an overcount
• Non-Aboriginal clients identified as Aboriginal
• Overcount is bigger than undercount
• In 2005-06
• Count of 2624 was adjusted down to 2092

4
Doubtful records

• Clients born overseas but recorded as Aboriginal
• Individuals whose Aboriginal status changes
  between one agency and another
• A high count of Aboriginal clients aged 75 years
  or more
• implausible compared to the ABS Census.

5
Discrepancies between Aboriginal status and
Country of birth
Source Victorian HACC MDS 2005-06, 2004-05
2003-04. Austria, Papua New Guinea
6
Causes of poor data

• Poor record-keeping
• Aboriginal status question was not asked
• Missing data for Aboriginal Status
• Wrong data because electronic default used
• If default Not Aboriginal, an under-count
• If default Aboriginal, an over-count
• Question asked, but client declined to identify
  as Aboriginal
• No routine for updating and checking records
• No internal logic checks in software
• Inadequate feedback from DHS data team

7
Comparing agencies

• Aboriginal agencies had more accurate data on
  Aboriginal status
• But a few had failed to report at all
• Overall, 8 of 700,000 records had missing data
  on Aboriginal status
• 48 agencies accounted for 63 of missing data
• esp. community health services

8
Improvement strategy

• HACC data team analysed all MDS records
• Doubtful records were identified
• Letters were sent to all agencies
• Customised list of doubtful records
• Telephone and email follow-up

9
Improvement found

• Drop in number of records showing Aboriginal
  clients aged 75-plus
• Now in line with Census
• 15 drop in records with born overseas and
  Aboriginal.