The National Health Information Agreement (NHIA) is an agreement between the Australian Government and state/territory government health authorities, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the Health Insurance Commission, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The Agreement was established to coordinate the development, collection and dissemination of health information in Australia, including the development, endorsement and maintenance of national data standards. This includes a commitment to co-operate through the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council agreed governance arrangements for information management.
The current National Health Information Agreement 2004-9, came into effect on 1 September 2004. This Agreement retains the main features and scope of the Agreement developed in 1993 with updated provisions reflecting changes to national health information governance arrangement and other matters.
Specifically, the objectives of the NHIA are to:
promote the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of relevant, timely, accurate and reliable health information concerned with the full range of health services and of a range of population parameters (including health status and risks), in accordance with nationally agreed protocols and standards;
develop and agree on projects to improve, maintain and share national health information;
cooperate in the provision of resources necessary to address national health information development priorities efficiently and effectively;
provide the information required to research, monitor and improve health and the delivery of health services;
provide the information required to facilitate nationally agreed projects which promote the development and reform of the health care system in accordance with the priorities of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council;
promote the extension of the range of national health information and encourage other groups and individuals in government and non-government sectors to participate by making available information that they hold; and
work towards improving consistency in data definitions, classifications and collections between health, community services and housing assistance.
