Health professional—principal role, code N

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Superseded 10/12/2009

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

CODE 1     Clinician

A clinician is a person mainly involved in the area of clinical practice, i.e. diagnosis, care and treatment, including recommended preventative action, to patients or clients. Clinical practice may involve direct client contact or may be practised indirectly through individual case material (as in radiology and laboratory medicine).

CODE 2     Administrator

An administrator in a health profession is a person whose main job is in an administrative capacity in the profession, e.g. directors of nursing, medical superintendents, medical advisors in government health authorities, health profession union administrators (e.g. Australian Medical Association, Australian Nurses Federation).

CODE 3     Teacher/educator

A teacher/educator in a health profession is a person whose main job is employment by tertiary institutions or health institutions to provide education and training in the profession.

CODE 4     Researcher

A researcher in a health profession is a person whose main job is to conduct research in the field of the profession, especially in the area of clinical activity. Researchers are employed by tertiary institutions, medical research bodies, health institutions, health authorities, drug companies and other bodies.

CODES 5 - 7

CODE 5     Public health/health promotion

CODE 6     Occupational health

CODE 7     Environmental health

Public health/health promotion, occupational health and environmental health are specialties in medicine, and fields of practice for some other health professions. They are public health rather than clinical practice, and hence are excluded from clinical practice.

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Source and reference attributes

Relational attributes