Person—level of psychiatric symptom severity, Health of the Nation Outcome Scale score code N

Implementation start date: 01/07/2016

Implementation end date: 30/06/2017

Conditional obligation:

Reporting of the HoNOS at the start of the mental health phase of care is mandatory for patients in all settings.

Reporting of the HoNOS is not mandatory if mental health phase of care is reported as Assessment Only.

The HoNOS should only be reported for patients aged 18 years to 64 years.

Conditional obligation:

Reporting of the HoNOS at admission and separation is mandatory for admitted patients in psychiatric hospitals or designated psychiatric units in acute hospitals. Reporting is optional for admitted patients in non-designated hospitals or units.

The HoNOS should only be reported for patients aged between 18 and 64 years.

The HoNOS discharge rating is not required if the episode of admitted care had a length of stay of 3 days or less.

Conditional obligation:

For the purposes of this DSS, an ambulatory episode is defined as a period of continuous contact between a consumer and a mental health service within an ambulatory service setting. This is consistent with the definition in the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection.

Reporting of the HoNOS is mandatory for the first and last service contacts of an ambulatory mental health care episode provided by a specialised mental health service. Reporting is optional for service contacts provided by specialised mental health services from non-government organisations that receive state or territory government funding. Reporting is optional for service events provided by non-specialised mental health services.

The HoNOS should only be reported for patients aged between 18 and 64 years.

DSS specific information:

The HoNOS for the first service contact may be derived from the HoNOSCA admission rating submitted for the patient's ambulatory care episode as part of the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection reporting requirements.

The HoNOS for the last service contact may be derived from the HoNOSCA discharge rating submitted for the patient's ambulatory care episode as part of the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection reporting requirements.

Conditional obligation:

Reporting of HoNOS at admission and separation is mandatory for residential mental health care services that are included in the General list of in-scope public hospital services, which have been developed under the National Health Reform Agreement (2011). Reporting is optional for episodes of residential mental health care provided by government-funded, non-government operated services.

The HoNOS should only be reported for patients aged between 18 and 64 years.