Activity based funding: Mental health care DSS 2015-16

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, Superseded 16/03/2016

The purpose of the Activity based funding: Mental health care data set specification (ABF MHC DSS) is to collect information about patients receiving mental health care, funded by states and territories, that is associated with Australian public hospitals.

Mental health care is care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is improvement in the symptoms and/or psychosocial, environmental and physical functioning related to a patient’s mental disorder. Mental health care:

• is delivered under the management of, or regularly informed by, a clinician with specialised expertise in mental health;
• is evidenced by an individualised formal mental health assessment and the implementation of a documented mental health plan; and
• may include significant psychosocial components, including family and carer support.

The scope of the ABF MHC DSS is mental health care provided by services that are in-scope public hospital services under the National Health Reform Agreement 2011. This includes care delivered by specialised mental health services, public hospitals, Local Hospital Networks and non-government organisations (NGOs) managed or funded by state or territory health authorities.

Mental health care provided by services which are not in-scope public hospital services under the National Health Reform Agreement 2011 can also be reported.

Collection and usage attributes

Data are collected at each hospital from patient administrative, financial and other systems. Hospitals forward data to the relevant state or territory health authority on a regular basis (for example, monthly).

National reporting arrangements

State and territory health authorities provide the data to the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority for national collation, on a six monthly basis.

Periods for which data are collected and nationally collated

Financial years ending 30 June each year.

Scope links with other NMDSs and DSSs

Admitted patient care NMDS

Admitted patient mental health care NMDS

Community mental health care NMDS

Mental health establishments NMDS

Non-admitted patient DSS

Residential mental health care NMDS

The ABF MHC DSS is also closely associated with the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection (NOCC) and aligns with NOCC reporting protocols where possible. While the DSS provides guidance on the circumstances in which clinical measures should be reported for specific age groups, it is noted it is a clinical decision as to the most appropriate measure to be used for a particular patient.

Glossary items

Glossary terms that are relevant to this data set specification are included here:

Activity based funding

Admitted patient mental health care service

Ambulatory care

Ambulatory mental health care service

Episode of residential care end

Episode of residential care start

Mental health care

Mental health-funded non-government organisation

Resident

Residential mental health care service

Separation

Source and reference attributes

Relational attributes