4.4 Standard echocardiography, 18 years and over
The Third Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation investigates healthcare use in four clinical areas. Standard echocardiography is included in Chapter 4, Cardiac tests.
Why is this important?
Standard (or transthoracic) echocardiography is used for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning in people with symptoms suggestive of heart failure, structural heart diseases and other heart conditions. It is an important clinical tool, but a rapid increase in use of standard echocardiography has raised concerns that some use is not appropriate.
There are also concerns that standard echocardiography is not always available where it is needed most. The burden of cardiovascular disease is higher in regional and remote areas of Australia, and equitable access to standard echocardiography is important for improving cardiac care and outcomes for people living in these areas.
Maps and graphs
Rates by local area
Rates by state and territory
//viz.aihw.gov.au/t/Public/views/SOP_Standard_echocardiography/Stateandterritory?iframeSizedToWindow=true&:embed=y&:showAppBanner=false&:display_count=no&:showVizHome=no&:origin=viz_share_link
Rates by remoteness and SES
//viz.aihw.gov.au/t/Public/views/SOP_Standard_echocardiography/RemotenessandSES?iframeSizedToWindow=true&:embed=y&:showAppBanner=false&:display_count=no&:showVizHome=no&:origin=viz_share_link
Map of rates across Australia
Download the data
Download the data sheet for standard echocardiography:
About the data
About the data - Standard echocardiography, 18 years and over
Data are sourced from the MBS dataset. This dataset includes information on MBS claims processed by the Australian Government Department of Human Services. It covers a wide range of services (attendances, procedures, tests) provided across primary care and hospital settings.
The dataset does not include:
- Services for publicly funded patients in hospitals
- Services for patients in hospital outpatient clinics where claims are not made to the MBS
- Services covered under Department of Veterans’ Affairs arrangements.
Rates are based on the number of MBS-subsidised services for standard echocardiograms per 100,000 people aged 18 years and over in 2016–17.
Because an MBS claim is included for each service rather than for each patient, patients who receive any of the services listed in this data item more than once in the financial year will have more than one MBS claim counted.
The analysis and maps are based on the residential address of the patient recorded in the MBS claim and not the location of the service.
Rates are age and sex standardised to allow comparisons between populations with different age and sex structures.
This analysis was not undertaken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status because this information was not available for the MBS data at the time of publication.
About the Atlas and how to interpret the data visualisations
This document outlines how to interpret the data correctly and explains the limitations of the data prior to using the Atlas:
Data specifications
Rates by local area
Rates by state and territory
//viz.aihw.gov.au/t/Public/views/SOP_Standard_echocardiography/Stateandterritory?iframeSizedToWindow=true&:embed=y&:showAppBanner=false&:display_count=no&:showVizHome=no&:origin=viz_share_link
Rates by remoteness and SES
//viz.aihw.gov.au/t/Public/views/SOP_Standard_echocardiography/RemotenessandSES?iframeSizedToWindow=true&:embed=y&:showAppBanner=false&:display_count=no&:showVizHome=no&:origin=viz_share_link
Map of rates across Australia
Download the data
Download the data sheet for standard echocardiography:
About the data
About the data - Standard echocardiography, 18 years and over
Data are sourced from the MBS dataset. This dataset includes information on MBS claims processed by the Australian Government Department of Human Services. It covers a wide range of services (attendances, procedures, tests) provided across primary care and hospital settings.
The dataset does not include:
- Services for publicly funded patients in hospitals
- Services for patients in hospital outpatient clinics where claims are not made to the MBS
- Services covered under Department of Veterans’ Affairs arrangements.
Rates are based on the number of MBS-subsidised services for standard echocardiograms per 100,000 people aged 18 years and over in 2016–17.
Because an MBS claim is included for each service rather than for each patient, patients who receive any of the services listed in this data item more than once in the financial year will have more than one MBS claim counted.
The analysis and maps are based on the residential address of the patient recorded in the MBS claim and not the location of the service.
Rates are age and sex standardised to allow comparisons between populations with different age and sex structures.
This analysis was not undertaken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status because this information was not available for the MBS data at the time of publication.
About the Atlas and how to interpret the data visualisations
This document outlines how to interpret the data correctly and explains the limitations of the data prior to using the Atlas:
Data specifications