Definition
Sum of the length of leave (date returned from leave minus date went on leave) for all periods within the hospital stay.
Components
Data Element (this item)
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Data Element ConceptEpisode of admitted patient care—number of leave days
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Object ClassEpisode of admitted patient care
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PropertyNumber of leave days
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Value DomainNone
Comments
Guide for use:
A day is measured from midnight to midnight.
The following rules apply in the calculation of leave days for both overnight and same-day patients:
- The day the patient goes on leave is counted as a leave day.
- The day the patient is on leave is counted as a leave day.
- The day the patient returns from leave is counted as a patient day.
- If the patient is admitted and goes on leave on the same day, this is counted as a patient day, not a leave day.
- If the patient returns from leave and then goes on leave again on the same day, this is counted as a leave day.
- If the patient returns from leave and is separated on the same day, the day should not be counted as either a patient day or a leave day.
National Health Data CommitteeComments:
It should be noted that for private patients in public and private hospitals, s.3 (12) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cwlth) currently applies a different leave day count, Commonwealth Department of Human Services and Health HBF Circular 354 (31 March 1994). This metadata item was modified in July 1996 to exclude the previous differentiation between the psychiatric and other patients.