Authored by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care with medical journalist Nicole MacKee
Rethinking hysterectomy How regional Victoria is reducing use of invasive procedures
Rebecca Doherty, Senior Project Manager, Safer Care Victoria
A collaborative group of local clinicians, greater clinical guidance, and an unexpected jolt from
areas than in major cities or remote areas. Three areas in regional Victoria had the highest rates of
COVID-19, is helping to turn the tide on the high rates of hysterectomy in regional Victoria.
hospitalisations for hysterectomy in the country. The Maryborough-Pyrenees region (763
Australia’s relatively high rate of hysterectomy was thrust into the spotlight early in the nation’s investigations into healthcare variation. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s CEO Professor Debora Picone notes that the initial Organisation for Economic
procedures per 100,000 women aged 15 years and over), Ballarat region (744/100,000) and Creswick-Daylesford-Ballan region (639/100,000) had hysterectomy rates almost seven times higher than the areas with the lowest rates, including Gungahlin in the ACT (115/100,000) and Melbourne
Co-operation and Development study into healthcare variation in 2012 found that Australia’s
City (119/100,000). ‘Clearly, in those settings, hysterectomy
hysterectomy rates were considerably higher than rates in most other comparable nations. Then, in 2017, the Second Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation provided an important clue to
was being overused, instead of non-surgical alternatives for heavy menstrual bleeding,’ Professor Picone says. Rebecca Doherty, Senior Project Manager in
addressing this high rate. It showed that in Australia rates of hysterectomy for a non-cancer indication were markedly higher in inner and outer regional
Quality and Safety Analytics at Safer Care Victoria, says it was surprising to find such a concentration of hysterectomies in regional Victoria. >
The Health Advocate • MAY 2021
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