Alcohol and other drug treatment services NMDS

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Superseded 21/03/2006

This metadata set is nationally mandated for collection and reporting.

Publicly funded government and non-government agencies providing alcohol and/or drug treatment services. Including community-based ambulatory services and outpatient services.

The following services are currently not included in the coverage:

• services based in prisons and other correctional institutions;
• agencies that provide primarily accommodation or overnight stays such as 'sobering-up shelters' and 'half-way houses';
• agencies that provide services concerned primarily with health promotion;
• needle and syringe programs;
• agencies whose sole function is to provide prescribing and/or dosing of methadone; and
• acute care and psychiatric hospitals, or alcohol and drug treatment units that report to the admitted patient care National Minimum Data Set and do not provide treatment to non-admitted patients.

Clients who are on a methadone maintenance program may be included in the collection where they also receive other types of treatment.

Collection and usage attributes

Completed treatment episodes for clients who participate in a treatment type as specified in the data element Episode of treatment for alcohol and other drugs—treatment type (main), code N.

Data to be reported in each agency on completed treatment episode and then forwarded to state/territory authorities for collation.

National reporting requirements

State and territory health authorities provide the data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for national collation, on an annual basis.

Periods for which data are collected and nationally collated

Financial years ending 30 June each year.

Source and reference attributes

National Health Information Group

Relational attributes