Episode of treatment for alcohol and other drugs—main treatment type, code N[N]

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Standard 12/12/2018

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

CODE 1     Withdrawal management (detoxification)

This code refers to any form of withdrawal management, including medicated and non-medicated, in any delivery setting.

CODE 2     Counselling

This code refers to any method of individual or group counselling directed towards identified problems with alcohol and/or other drug use or dependency. This code excludes counselling activity that is part of a rehabilitation program as defined in Code 3 (Rehabilitation).

CODE 3     Rehabilitation

This code refers to an intensive structured treatment program that can occur in residential or non-residential settings and integrates a range of services and therapeutic activities that may include counselling, behavioural treatment approaches, recreational activities, social and community living skills, group work and relapse prevention. Rehabilitation treatment can provide a high level of support (i.e. up to 24 hours a day) and tends towards a medium to longer-term duration.

Counselling that is included within an overall rehabilitation program should be coded to Code 3 for Rehabilitation, not to Code 2 as a separate treatment episode for counselling.

CODE 4     Pharmacotherapy

This code refers to pharmacotherapies that include those used as maintenance therapies (e.g. methadone or buprenorphine) and those used as relapse prevention (e.g. acamprosate, naltrexone or disulfiram).

Use Code 1 (Withdrawal management) where a pharmacotherapy is used solely for withdrawal. Note collection exclusions: excludes treatment episodes for clients who are on an opioid pharmacotherapy maintenance program and are not receiving any other form of treatment.

CODE 5     Support and case management

This code refers to when the type of treatment provided to the client is support and case management (e.g. treatment planning and monitoring, case conferences, advocacy, or facilitated referral).

CODE 6     Information and education

This code refers to when the type of treatment provided to the client is information and education (e.g. written information or a psycho-educational intervention).

CODE 7     Assessment only

This code refers to when there is no treatment provided to the client other than an overall assessment of the extent and nature of their drug and/or alcohol problem. An assessment encompasses treatment planning and referral.

This code can only be used to describe a Main treatment type, and can only be used to describe treatment provided in episodes where there are no additional treatment types.

CODE 88     Other

This codes refers to other treatment types not further defined such as art, equine or outdoor therapy.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Only one code to be selected.

To be completed at assessment or commencement of treatment.

The main treatment type is the principal activity as judged by the treatment provider that is necessary for the completion of the treatment plan for the principal drug of concern. The main treatment type for alcohol and other drugs is the principal focus of a single treatment episode. Consequently, each treatment episode will only have one main treatment type.

For brief interventions, the main treatment type may apply to as few as one contact between the client and agency staff.

Information about treatment provided is of fundamental importance to service delivery and planning.

Source and reference attributes

Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs National Minimum Data Set Working Group

Relational attributes