S.TRUEMAN PhD THESIS 2016

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2.6 Mortality Rate by Remoteness

With reference to Tables 2.7a and 2.7b, male and female mortality rates increase with remoteness. The female mortality rate in remote areas was 1.3 times as high as that in major cities, and 1.6 times as high in very remote areas. For males, the same rate ratios were 1.2 and 1.4 respectively. The same disadvantage with remoteness is seen in the trends for ‘excess’ death and ‘potentially avoidable death’ rates (see Tables 2.7a and 2.7b). Some commentators have suggested that this increase in mortality is linked to the poor availability of the full range of health services and inadequate numbers of health clinicians in remote areas (Paliadelis, Parmenter, Parker, Giles & Higgins, 2012; Productivity Commission, 2005). Table 2.7a Deaths (Male) by Remoteness Area, 2009–2011 (Source: AIHW, 2014a)

Major Cities

Inner Regional

Outer Regional

Remote

Very Remote

Deaths (per 100,000)

660

740 1.12

774 1.17

811 1.23

936 1.42

Rate ratio*

… …

Excess deaths (% of deaths)** Potentially avoidable deaths per 100,000***

11

15

22

41

175

209

227

233

378