TY - JOUR
T1 - Demographic changes in Australia's regulated health professions
T2 - 6-year trends
AU - Anderson, Sarah
AU - Saar, Eva
AU - Evans, Jacinta
AU - Rasmussen, Michael
AU - Bayyavarapu, Sunita Bapuji
AU - Main, Penelope Ann Elizabeth
AU - Stark, Samantha
AU - Townley, Helen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Authors
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Objective: Studies of Australian health workforce demographics tend to be limited to single professions, a set geographic area, or based on incomplete data. This study aims to comprehensively describe changes to the demographic characteristics of Australia's regulated health professions over 6 years. Methods: Data were sourced from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration database, and a retrospective analysis of 15 of the 16 regulated health professions between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2021 was conducted. Variables including profession, age, gender and state/territory locations for the practitioners' principal places of practice were analysed descriptively and via appropriate statistical tests. Results: Changes in age, gender representation, and place of practice varied significantly and in different ways across the 15 professions. The total number of registered health practitioners increased by 141 161 (22%) from 2016 to 2021. The number of registered health practitioners per 100 000 population increased by 14% from 2016, with considerable variation across the professions. In 2021, women accounted for 76.3% of health practitioners across the 15 health professions, a significant increase of 0.5% points since 2016. Conclusions: Changes to demographics, especially in ageing workforces and feminising professions, can have implications for workforce planning and sustainability. Future research could build on this demographic trend data by investigating causes or undertaking workforce supply or demand modelling.
AB - Objective: Studies of Australian health workforce demographics tend to be limited to single professions, a set geographic area, or based on incomplete data. This study aims to comprehensively describe changes to the demographic characteristics of Australia's regulated health professions over 6 years. Methods: Data were sourced from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration database, and a retrospective analysis of 15 of the 16 regulated health professions between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2021 was conducted. Variables including profession, age, gender and state/territory locations for the practitioners' principal places of practice were analysed descriptively and via appropriate statistical tests. Results: Changes in age, gender representation, and place of practice varied significantly and in different ways across the 15 professions. The total number of registered health practitioners increased by 141 161 (22%) from 2016 to 2021. The number of registered health practitioners per 100 000 population increased by 14% from 2016, with considerable variation across the professions. In 2021, women accounted for 76.3% of health practitioners across the 15 health professions, a significant increase of 0.5% points since 2016. Conclusions: Changes to demographics, especially in ageing workforces and feminising professions, can have implications for workforce planning and sustainability. Future research could build on this demographic trend data by investigating causes or undertaking workforce supply or demand modelling.
KW - demographics
KW - gender-sensitive planning
KW - health workforce
KW - National Registration and Accreditation Scheme
KW - trend
KW - workforce supply
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152167406&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/AH23004
DO - 10.1071/AH23004
M3 - Article
C2 - 36914203
AN - SCOPUS:85152167406
SN - 0156-5788
VL - 47
SP - 246
EP - 253
JO - Australian Health Review
JF - Australian Health Review
IS - 2
ER -