The scope of this data set specification (DSS)(Phase 1) is outpatient clinic service events involving non-admitted patients at public hospitals classified as either principal referral, and specialist women’s and children’s hospitals or large hospitals (Peer Group A or B) as reported in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australian Hospital Statistics publication of 2008-09.

The Non-admitted patient (NAP) DSS is intended to capture instances of service provision from the point of view of the patient.

For the purpose of this DSS, an outpatient clinic is a specialty unit or organisational arrangement under which a hospital provides outpatient clinic services. The nature of the service provided by the clinic is classified by ‘clinic type’. All outpatient clinic types are included in the DSS, except specialised mental health and alcohol and other drug treatment services which are included in separate NMDSs noted below.

The scope includes:

• All arrangements made to deliver outpatient clinic service events (not covered by the NMDSs listed below) to non-admitted patients:
  • whose treatment has been funded through the hospital, regardless of the source from which the hospital derives these funds. In particular, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, compensable and other patients funded through the hospital (including Medicare ineligible patients) are included; and
  • regardless of setting or mode

Excluded from scope in Phase 1 are:

• All services covered by NMDS for:
  • Admitted patient care,
  • Admitted patient mental health care,
  • Alcohol and other drug treatment services,
  • Community mental health care,
  • Non-admitted patient emergency department care, e.g. all outpatient clinic services provided to admitted patients are excluded;
• All outpatient service events delivered by private specialist services under private practice arrangements; 
• Service events funded by the hospital but delivered by another entity (including community health service, NGOs and private hospitals); 
• Service events which deliver non-clinical care (activities such as home cleaning, meals on wheels, home maintenance);
• Diagnostic imaging, pathology, pharmacy and other ancillary services whether they are associated with an outpatient clinic service event or provided independently of an outpatient clinic service event.