Data submissions to the AIHW for the 2022–23 collection will begin in August 2023. Agencies are required to collect this data from 1 July 2022 until 30 June 2023.

User documentation for 2022–23 data submissions

Changes for 2022–23

  • Addition of client gender as an AODTS National Best Endeavours Dataset (NBEDS) data element.
    • Where a service already collects client gender, the provision of this data element is mandatory. 
    • Where a service does not yet collect client gender, this data element is not required<.
  • Addition of client locality as an AODTS NMDS item.
    • Client locality is required to be collected using either suburb/town/locality name OR the statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) of the client’s last known home address at the start of the treatment episode(do not supply both)
  • Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3  
    • ASGS 2021 replaced ASGS 2016.
  • Sex – code 3 changed from ‘Other’ to ‘Another term’.
  • DAP and solely funded PHN agencies sign off date changed from 31 December to 30 November.

Drug and Alcohol Program funded agency collection guidelines

This section provides information for agencies funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care Drug and Alcohol Program (DAP), including solely Primary Health Network (PHN) funded agencies. All in-scope agencies are required to submit data to the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS).

Who do I submit my data to?

Note: DAP was previously known as the Non-government organisation treatment grants program (NGOTGP) or the Substance misuse service delivery grants fund (SMSDGF).

PHN-commissioned agency submission process

To reduce the burden of data collection and validation on PHN commissioned services, agencies may report their AODTS NMDS data through existing data collection channels. PHN agencies that are solely funded by the PHN are to submit their data directly to the AIHW via email to [email protected] (see submission process below). Where state and territory Governments are co-funders of agency services, service providers are to submit their data via their state/territory health department or peak body depending on jurisdictional reporting requirements.

In cases where the solely Commonwealth funded agency previously submitted data via their state/territory health department or peak body (e.g. agencies that have had their funding source change), the agency can continue to do so to ease collection burden.

Note: Agencies do not need to use the data entry sheet for recording treatment episodes if the data can be extracted from an agency database in the correct CSV format for submission to the AIHW.

Data submission process to the AIHW

The AIHW requires the NMDS data to be supplied in CSV format, listing each episode as a single record. This enables the submitted data to be entered into the AIHW validation tool (Validata). The following steps are part of the data submission process:

  1. When the collection opens in August 2023, agencies email [email protected], expressing their intent to report to the AODTS NMDS 2022–23 collection (no data is to be attached in this email).
  2. The agency will receive a link to a secure environment (account details will need to be completed by the user). Through this account, data can be submitted in CSV format to the AIHW for editing.
  3. The AIHW load the data into Validata.
  4. Validata performs a number of data quality checks against each record and outputs a report listing errors/edits where the data needs to be confirmed as correct or amended.
  5. The Validata report is sent back to the agency to apply corrections to the data.
  6. The agency submits a new clean version of the data file.
  7. The AIHW loads the data in Validata to ensure all corrections have been made.
  8. Once the data are 'clean', the AIHW confirms the frequency counts with the agency who agrees to approve the data as finalised.
  9. Once all agencies sign off on their 2022–23 data, they are incorporated into a national AODTS NMDS data set, analysed and used for the 2022–23 AODTS reports and other agreed reporting, evaluation, and analytical requirements.

Data entry sheet

This workbook contains the correct codes for the 2022–23 collection.

The AIHW only requires the 'Data submission sheet' worksheet within the workbook. This contains all the episode data. Once completed, save it as a 'CSV file (Comma delimited) (*.csv)' and email to the AIHW for processing (see submission process above).

A client episode form is available for those agencies who require a form for data collection.