• Health, Standard 12/12/2018

The scope of the Allied health admitted patient care National best practice data set (AHAPC NBPDS) is to collect information on all episodes of care for admitted patients which include allied health service events in public hospitals.

The AHAPC NBPDS uses many of the data elements from the Admitted patient care National minimum data set but is considered a standalone NBPDS as it collects information on allied health service events during admitted patient episodes of care.

Included in this data set are episodes of care for admitted patients in all public and private acute and psychiatric hospitals, free standing day hospital facilities and alcohol and drug treatment centres in Australia. Hospitals operated by the Australian Defence Force, corrections authorities and in Australia's off-shore territories may also be included. Hospitals specialising in dental, ophthalmic aids and other specialised acute medical or surgical care are included.

Hospital boarders and still births are not included as they are not admitted to hospital.

Allied health service event

The AHAPC NBPDS guides the standardisation of allied health data.

Each admitted patient episode of care may include one or more allied health service events.

Allied health service events that occur after a formal separation from a hospital should be recorded as part of the applicable episode of care.

The main steps in the provision of allied health care are:

1. Following the requirement for allied health care or services (generation of a referral) by an allied health service provider, a person receives an allied health service event.
2. During the allied health service event the service provider may
   • determine the patient specific reason for allied health intervention (known as the indicator for intervention).
   • choose to perform and record one or more evaluation or appraisal activities (known as an assessment, objective test or measurable activity). This is recorded as the assessment type, assessment measure name and the subsequent assessment measure result. These activities may lead the service provider to determine a profession specific diagnosis or diagnoses (known as the clinical finding).
3. The service provider may then perform an intervention - a task or treatment activity participated in by the person.

Data can be collected by each jurisdiction through patient administration and other allied health clinical and activity reporting systems where applicable.

Jurisdictions are responsible for the collation of data at regular intervals to inform service provision.

It is anticipated that the AHAPC NBPDS will guide the standardisation of allied health data with the future intention of developing a national minimum data set or inclusion within other national minimum data sets.

The following glossary items are used within this data set:

Allied health

Allied health service provider

Allied health service event

Allied Health Professions Australia