National Organisation Dedicated to Public Reporting on Hospital and Primary Care: An Australian Experience

Abstract

The purpose of this case study is to share experiences related to the first years of establishment of the National Health Performance Authority, a board-governed, statutory organization dedicated to publicly reporting comparable information about more than 1000 public and private hospitals and primary healthcare organizations in Australia. It showcases how the Authority’s first report on the topic of childhood immunization resulted in more than 700 newspaper, radio, and television items with a combined estimated audience of 27 million, a campaign by the nation’s biggest-selling newspaper to improve rates in low-rate areas, and rapid changes to public health legislation in at least one state. Australia has more than 1000 public and private hospitals and 31 primary healthcare organizations called Primary Health Networks that together serve 23 million people.