Higher frequency of public hospital utilisation for rheumatological conditions by First Nations people in Western Sydney

OBJECTIVES: There is limited research on the burden of rheumatologic disease affecting First Nations people in Australia. We sought to characterise public hospital utilisation by First Nations people for a 6-year period (2014-2019) for gout, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) in Western Sydney, New South Wales. DESIGN: A cross-sectional medical records review. SETTING: All patients who presented to the emergency departments (EDs) of, or who were admitted to, any of the four Western Sydney Local Health District hospitals with a primary diagnosis of gout, SLE, RA, OA or OP between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Description of ED presentations and hospital admissions for the five conditions among First Nations and non-First Nations people. The hospital utilization rate was calculated for both First Nations and non-First Nations people. RESULTS: There was a higher likelihood of First Nations people accessing public hospital healthcare for gout compared to the non-First Nations population (73.3% vs 62.4%, P < 0.030). The public hospital utilisation rate for First Nations people with rheumatological conditions was almost three times that of the non-First Nations population for those aged ≥45 years (13.1 per 1000 people vs 5.0 per 1000 people respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests First Nations people living in Western Sydney access public hospital care for rheumatological conditions at a higher rate than the general population.