Episode of admitted patient care—major diagnostic category
Metadata item type:
Data Element Concept
METeOR identifier:
269575
Registration status:
Health, Standard 01/03/2005 Tasmanian Health, Draft 23/07/2012
Definition:
Major diagnostic categories (MDCs) are 23 mutually exclusive categories into which all possible principal diagnoses fall. The diagnoses in each category correspond to a single body system or aetiology, broadly reflecting the speciality providing care. Each category is partitioned according to whether or not a surgical procedure was performed. This preliminary partitioning into major diagnostic categories occurs before a diagnosis related group is assigned.
The Australian refined diagnosis related groups (AR-DRGs) departs from the use of principal diagnosis as the initial variable in the assignment of some groups. A hierarchy of all exceptions to the principal diagnosis-based assignment to a MDC has been created. As a consequence, certain AR-DRGs are not unique to a MDC. This requires both a MDC and an AR-DRG to be generated per patient.
Context:
All admitted patient care contexts:
The generation of a major diagnostic category to accompany each AR-DRG is a requirement of the latter as diagnosis related groups are not unique.
The period of admitted patient care between a formal or statistical admission and a formal or statistical separation, characterised by only one care type.
This treatment and/or care provided to a patient during an episode of care can occur in hospital and/or in the person's home (for hospital-in-the-home patients).
