Estimating Australia's abortion rates 1985-2003.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Public Health Statistics
• Medical Auditing

Background:

• Accurate estimation of induced abortion rates is crucial for public health planning and resource allocation in Australia.
• Existing data sources, including Medicare claims and hospital morbidity data, have known limitations and inaccuracies.
• Previous studies have highlighted the need for improved methodologies to capture comprehensive abortion statistics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate national induced abortion rates in Australia between 1985 and 2003.
• To assess the accuracy of Medicare claims and hospital morbidity statistics for tracking abortion procedures.
• To provide adjusted national abortion figures based on data validation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Medicare claim statistics for private patients and hospital morbidity data for public patients.
• Compared South Australian (SA) hospital morbidity data with statutory abortion notifications to assess accuracy.
• Adjusted national data for overestimations identified in Medicare and hospital records and for non-submitted Medicare claims.

Main Results:

• Medicare data overestimated abortion numbers by 18.7%, while hospital morbidity data showed a 2.3% overestimation.
• An estimated 14.1% of private patients did not submit Medicare claims.
• The Australian abortion rate per 1000 women (aged 15-44) rose from 17.9 in 1985 to a peak of 21.9 in 1995, then fell to 19.7 in 2003.

Conclusions:

• Current data collection methods in Australia do not provide accurate numbers for induced abortions.
• Significant discrepancies exist between reported and actual abortion figures, necessitating methodological improvements.
• Recommendations are proposed for enhancing the national collection of abortion statistics.