The Second Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation, released in 2017, examines 18 clinical items across four clinical themes: chronic disease and infection – potentially preventable hospitalisations, cardiovascular, women’s health and maternity, and surgical interventions.

Getting the best outcomes for patients and reducing harm are the goals of the Atlas series. Each Atlas examines a series of health topics, investigates variation and the possible reasons for it, and provides specific achievable actions to reduce unwarranted variation.