Glossary

Most definitions in this glossary contain an identification number from the AIHW’s Metadata Online Registry (METeOR). It provides definitions for data for health and community services-related topics and specifications for related national minimum data sets (NMDSs). Visit METeOR.

activity-based funding: A method of funding health services based on the amount and type of activity. METeOR identifier: 651815.

allied health and/or clinical nurse specialist clinic: A clinic in which services are provided by an allied health professional or clinical nurse specialist (IHPA 2016).

block-funding: A method of funding health services for which activity-based funding is not applicable due to low volumes, the absence of ‘economies of scale’ or the inability to satisfy the technical requirements of activity-based funding (IHPA 2017).

care type: The overall nature of care delivered during a non-admitted patient service event, derived from other service characteristics. Can be assigned as rehabilitation care, palliative care, geriatric evaluation and management, psychogeriatric care, mental health care and other care (which includes any care provided that does not fall within the preceding categories, for example, maintenance care and acute care). METeOR identifier: 652569.

clinic type: The type of service through which an establishment provides health care to a non-admitted patient in a non-admitted setting. METeOR identifier: 649490.

compensable: An event for which compensation was used as the funding source. Compensation sources include Motor vehicle third party personal claim, Worker’s compensation and other compensation. METeOR identifier: 327420.

diagnostic services clinic: A clinic in which diagnostic services are provided, within a specific field of medicine or condition (IHPA 2016).

funding source: The source of funds for an admitted patient episode or non-admitted patient service event. METeOR identifier: 649391.

group session status: An indicator of whether a non-admitted patient service event was delivered in a group. A group must have two or more persons attending in the capacity of patients in their own right. One service event is recorded for each patient who attends a group session. METeOR identifier: 650414.

hospital: A health-care facility established under Commonwealth, state or territory legislation as a hospital or a free-standing day procedure unit and authorised to provide treatment and/or care to patients. METeOR identifier: 268971.

Independent Hospital Pricing Authority funding designation: The designation given to an establishment by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority relating to the type of funding the establishment receives. METeOR identifier: 548713. See activity-based funding and block-funding.

Index of Relative Disadvantage (IRD): One of the set of Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas for ranking the average socioeconomic conditions of the population in an area. It summarises attributes of the population such as low income, low educational attainment, high unemployment and jobs in relatively unskilled occupations.

Indigenous status: A measure of whether a person identifies as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. METeOR identifier: 602543. This is in accord with the first 2 of 3 components of the Commonwealth definition below:

An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives.

local hospital network: Local hospital networks directly manage single or small groups of public hospital services and their budgets, and are directly responsible for hospital performance. METeOR identifier: 491016.

medical consultation clinic: A clinic in which services are provided by a general physician or medical specialist (IHPA 2016).

Medicare Benefits Scheme: The funding source reported for Medicare eligible non-admitted patients presenting at a public hospital outpatient department for whom services are billed to Medicare. Includes both bulk-billed patients and patients with out-of-pocket expenses.

non-admitted patient: A patient who does not undergo a hospital’s formal admission process. METeOR identifier: 268973.

other services: local hospital networks and other public hospital services (for example, private hospitals that provided public hospital services for non-admitted patient patients), for which data were reported to the NAPCLHN NBEDS for 2017–18.

peer group: Groupings of hospitals into broadly similar groups in terms of characteristics.

procedural clinic: A clinic in which services are provided by a surgeon or other medical specialist (IHPA 2016).

public hospital: A hospital controlled by a state or territory health authority. Public hospitals offer free diagnostic services, treatment, care and accommodation to all eligible patients.

remoteness area: A classification of the remoteness of a location using the ASGS Remoteness Structure (ABS 2016), based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia which measures the remoteness of a point based on the physical road distance to the nearest urban centre.

service delivery mode: The method of communication between a non-admitted patient and a health-care provider during a service event. METeOR identifier: 652467.

service delivery setting: The setting in which a service is provided to a non-admitted patient during a service event. METeOR identifier: 652087. Service events can occur in an outpatient clinic within the hospital campus or other setting, and can include service events delivered in the patient’s home, by telephone or by video link.

service event: An interaction between one or more health-care provider(s) with one non-admitted patient, which must contain therapeutic/clinical content and result in a dated entry in the patient’s medical record. METeOR identifier: 583996. Apart from some home delivered non-admitted patient services, one service event is recorded for each interaction, regardless of the number of health-care providers present.

Tier 2: The Tier 2 non-admitted services classification is a hierarchical classification comprising 2 levels, namely the clinic classes (4 broad categories) and clinic types (the most detailed level of the classification) (IHPA 2016).

References

IHPA 2017. National Efficient Cost Determination 2017–18, March 2017. Sydney: IHPA. Viewed 16 April 2019.