Health Quality & Safety Commission | Atlas of Healthcare Variation

The Atlas of Healthcare Variation displays easy-to-use maps, graphs, tables and commentaries that highlight variations by geographic area in the provision and use of specific health services and health outcomes.

The Atlas is designed to prompt debate and raise questions about health service use and provision amongst clinicians, users and providers of health services about why any differences exist, and to stimulate improvement through this debate.

The Atlas highlights variation but does not suggest an ideal level (high is not necessarily good or bad; the average is not necessarily the ideal). This means that it should not be used a tool for judging the performance of one geographic area against another.

For further information read our questions & answers, watch the introductory video or find out how to use the Atlas.

Domains

The Atlas is organised by domains, which cover specific clinical areas. Select a domain below to view the Atlas.

Domain	Summary
Maternity	This shows variation in medical procedures and complications associated with birth.
Demography	This shows life expectancy and other basic demographic data around age structure, ethnicity and deprivation.
Cardiovascular Disease	This shows the use of secondary prevention medicines in New Zealand residents hospitalised with an ischaemic cardiovascular disease event between 2000 and 2010.
Gout	This shows variation in the prevalence and treatment of gout, the most common form of inflammatory arthritis.
Polypharmacy in older people	This shows rates of dispensing of medicines in people aged 65 and over.

Introducing the Atlas

Atlas clinical lead, Dr Nigel Millar, and CEO of the Health Quality & Safety Commission, Dr Janice Wilson, explain the purpose of the Atlas of Healthcare Variation.

How to use the Atlas

Learn how to find your way around the Atlas reports by using the text version of the user guide or viewing the video below.

Feedback

If you would like to comment on the design of the reports or have suggestions for future reports please email us.

Sidebar

Medication Safety The Medication Safety Programme aims to greatly reduce the number of New Zealanders harmed each year by medication errors in our hospitals, general practices, aged care facilities and across the entire health and disability sector.	Infection Prevention & Control Healthcare associated infection is one of the most frequent adverse events in health care worldwide. Up to 10 percent of patients admitted to modern hospitals in the developed world acquire one or more infections.	Reducing Harm From Falls This programme aims to reduce the harm that people can suffer if they fall and hurt themselves - especially older people receiving care, whether in hospital, residential care, or in their own home.
Reportable Events Reporting adverse events (often referred to as incidents) assists health services to manage the risks of clinical care.	Health Quality Evaluation This programme establishes baseline measures and indicators which can be used to assess the quality of the health and disability system.	Consumer Engagement Consumer engagement involves consumers being actively involved in decision making about health and disability services at every level.
Reducing Perioperative Harm This programme aims to improve the quality and safety of health care services provided to patients undergoing surgery in hospital. It focuses on preventing adverse events which can harm patients.	Other Topics The Commission has further programmes under development to improve the quality and safety of health and disability services.

Health Quality & Safety Commission | Atlas of Healthcare Variation

Domains

Introducing the Atlas

How to use the Atlas

Feedback

Sidebar

Health Quality Evaluation

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