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David Kalisch, Director and CEO, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

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In the conclusion of a two-part interview, Director and CEO David Kalisch comments on making health and welfare data accessible to everyone in Australia through greater use of ICT, including the launch of a mobile phone application and novel educational outreach programmes

 

As an advisory board to the Government, you often report on national welfare expenditure. What is the current priority for Australia in terms of its commitment to health and welfare?

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) produces information on national welfare expenditure which can help to guide and inform policy decisions. Our biennial report Australia’s welfare 2011 contributes to this discussion by bringing together national statistics that form much of the evidence base for contemporary policy development.

Recent years have been a time of active consideration of future reforms in the welfare sector, with major inquiries and ongoing community discussion about the future of aged care services, support for people with disabilities and closing the gap on indigenous disadvantage. Australia’s ageing population, its shifting geographic profile, changing workforce and education patterns, and developing trends in family structure have all contributed to an ever-changing, varied and complex society; one with welfare needs as diverse as its people.

There is recognition that population ageing influences demand for welfare services beyond the scope of aged care. The way we engage in education and work affects our need for government services and our capacity to provide informal care. Additionally, while most Australians enjoy a high standard of living, disparities between population groups continue to exist. These are just some of the issues likely to affect future health- and welfare-related priorities.

A key strategic development for AIHW during the period 2011-14 is the improvement of information availability to the community and stakeholders. What has the AIHW implemented to achieve this goal?

At the AIHW we are committed to accessible, easily available information for a wide range of audiences, and we are continually reviewing the way we present data and analysis. Our approach is to seek maximum use of the data holdings, consistent with privacy/legislative requirements. Data is a national resource that should be used to benefit the nation.

The internet is a rapidly evolving medium, and these days, it’s the ‘go-to’ for information for many people. To keep up with this, we are continually reviewing the requirements of our audience by monitoring website traffic statistics, talking with representatives from audience groups, conducting market research and engaging with thought-leaders on internet communications.

One step we have taken to better present information online is with the development of web ‘snapshots’ on popular subjects such as child protection, asthma, diabetes and male health. These snapshots allow users to view topics in the depth they desire, from simple highlights, right through to analysis-level information appropriate for policy makers and health and welfare sector workers.

We are also aware of the importance of embracing new technologies, so this year we have begun work on an Australia’s health 2012 mobile application, suitable for Apple devices (including iPhone, iPad and iPod). This ‘app’ will present key statistics from the Australia’s health 2012 report, in a format that is easy to read and understand. Users can search by subject area and ‘bookmark’ their favorite pages. Handy reference guides – including a glossary and useful links – will be included. The app will also allow users to test their knowledge with a quiz, making it a perfect resource for students and teachers.

Statistical information can be overrun with technical language and jargon, which can alienate some users and detract from our messages. To combat this, AIHW puts a strong emphasis on good, clear writing. Even though much of our work is numbers-based, and many of our staff are ‘numbers people’, we stress that if you work at AIHW, you are a writer! Our general rule of thumb is to write for ‘an interested 17 year old’. Our reports and products assume no special knowledge on the reader’s part, and aim to convey information through explaining statistics, not simply presenting them.

Educational outreach helps to complement the research conducted by AIHW. How do you implement topics relating to health and welfare into the national curriculum?

While Australia does not yet have a national curriculum (one is currently being drafted), health and physical education programmes have some common themes across all states and territories. The AIHW therefore develops our educational resources around these common themes, which include population health, nutrition, chronic diseases, indigenous health, life expectancy, drug and alcohol consumption, and the nine health priorities for Australia as identified by the Government (arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular health, diabetes, injury prevention, mental health, obesity and dementia).

We produce educational worksheets, quizzes and PowerPoint presentations that summarise some of our reports in a format that is easily understood by secondary and tertiary undergraduate students. Education promotions are also run when a report is released that will be of particular interest to schools and universities. These promotions involve providing free class sets of summary booklets to any school that purchases a full copy of the report. So far this promotion has been run on our Australia’s health, Australia’s welfare and Australia’s food and nutrition reports.

What steps do you take to ensure these materials are relevant to Australia’s educational needs?

Consultation is provided by a group of secondary health teachers and curriculum writers as to what resources are needed and what format they would be most effective in. We are proud to have over 2,200 teachers, lecturers and students who are subscribed to our education resources and are notified of any new education releases. They are also encouraged to give feedback and suggestions on these resources to improve their relationship to curriculums.

Have you delivered any observable outcomes through your educational outreach efforts?

In terms of measurable outcomes:

• We receive a lot of positive feedback from teachers letting us know that they use our resources and find them more up to date than textbooks

• We have had hundreds of schools participate in the education promotions

• We have been invited to speak at national, as well as state and territory education conferences and events around Australia

• AI HW statistics (which are official statistics for the Australian Government) are quoted in education textbooks and used in second- and third-year exams

What do you plan to achieve in the years following 2014? How is this concurrent with emerging societal trends?

The AIHW has set out strategic directions to 2014, and we use this corporate plan as an umbrella document for the Institute’s planning processes. It provides the foundation for establishing, recording, refining and assigning priorities to the AIHW’s activities and procedures.

These strategic directions have been agreed by the AIHW Board, following consultation with AIHW staff and key stakeholders. They serve as a guide to staff and our external stakeholders in understanding the AIHW’s roles both now and into the future. They are to:

• Further strengthen our policy relevance

• Improve the availability of information for the community and our stakeholders

• Improve information quality, protecting privacy

• Capitalise on the contemporary information environment

• Cultivate and value a skilled, engaged and versatile workforce

To expand on the first of these directions as an example, the AIHW’s work informs and supports the development of policy and programmes on Australia’s health and welfare. Our collaborative approach with Commonwealth, state and territory governments and non-government organisations allows us to truly bring a whole-of-government approach to our work, and to inform policy discussions through the provision of relevant, timely, high-quality information. The trend towards greater evidence-based decision making across Government will result in policy makers requiring more comprehensive, timely and higher-quality health and welfare information, and the AIHW will aim to meet this need through continually improving the availability and quality of the information we provide.

In the future, I see the AIHW as an even more confident, vibrant, adaptable and exciting organisation. Our work is of intrinsic value to the community and to governments, reporting on health and welfare issues that are pertinent to people’s lives, helping governments and organisations shape policy responses and service delivery strategies that are based on the best available evidence. Our mission properly highlights that we aim to promote better health and wellbeing rather than just produce reports, and I expect that AIHW will continue to adapt and evolve as we respond to a changing social environment and future trends.

www.aihw.gov.au


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