Skip to content Learn about the access keys available for Aristotle.Cloud

Health care client identification DSS

This item has been superseded by a newer version by one or more Registration Authorities.

Definition

The data elements specified in this metadata set provide a framework for improving the positive identification of persons in health care organisations. This metadata set applies in respect of all potential or actual clients of the Australian health care system. It defines demographic and other identifying data elements suited to capture and use for person identification in health care settings.

The objectives in collecting the data elements in this metadata set are to promote uniformly good practice in:

  • identifying individuals
  • recording identifying data so as to ensure that each individual's health records will be associated with that individual and no other.

The process of positively identifying people within a health care service delivery context entails matching data supplied by those individuals against data the service provider holds about them. The positive and unique identification of health care clients is a critical event in health service delivery, with direct implications for the safety and quality of health care.

There are many barriers to successfully identifying individuals in health care settings, including variable data quality; differing data capture requirements and mechanisms; and varying data matching methods. These definitions provide a base for improving the confidence of health service providers and clients alike that the data being associated with any given individual, and upon which clinical decisions are made, is appropriately associated.

Metadata items in this Data Set Specification

Below is a list of all the components within this Dataset Specification.
Each entry includes the item name, whether the item is optional, mandatory or conditional and the maximum times the item can occur in a dataset.
If the items must occur in a particular order in the dataset, the sequence number is included before the item name.

Data Elements
Reference Data Element Data Type Length Inclusion #
Birth event—birth plurality, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—state/territory of birth, code N - - mandatory 1
Birth—birth order, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Date—accuracy indicator, code AAA - - mandatory 1
Establishment—organisation identifier (Australian), NNX[X]NNNNN - - mandatory 1
Establishment—organisation identifier (state/territory), NNNNN - - mandatory 1
Establishment—region identifier, X[X] - - mandatory 1
Establishment—sector, code N - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—address line, text X[X(179)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—address type, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Person (address)—Australian postcode, code (Postcode datafile) {NNNN} - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—building/complex sub-unit identifier, [X(7)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—building/complex sub-unit type, code A[AAA] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—building/property name, text X[X(29)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—country identifier, code (SACC 1998) NNNN Number 4 mandatory 1
Person (address)—electronic communication address, text [X(250)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—electronic communication medium, code N
Specific Information:
Multiple electronic communication addresses (for example, multiple phone numbers, fax numbers and e−mail) may be recorded as required. Each instance should have an appropriate Electronic communication medium and Electronic communication usage code assigned.
 - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—electronic communication usage, code N - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—floor/level identifier, [NNNA] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—floor/level type, code A[A] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—house/property identifier, text X[X(11)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—international postcode, text X[X(9)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—lot/section identifier, N[X(14)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—non-Australian state/province, text [X(40)] String 40 mandatory 1
Person (address)—postal delivery point identifier, {N(8)} - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—street name, text A[A(29)] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—street suffix, code A[A] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—street type, code A[AAA] - - mandatory 1
Person (address)—suburb/town/locality name, text A[A(49)]
Specific Information:
This data should be verified against the Australia Post Postcode File (see
www.auspost.com.au/postcodes). Alternatively, contact State or Territory
Health Authorities for Postcode files.
 - - mandatory 1
Person (identifier)—identifier type, geographic/administrative scope code A String 1 mandatory 1
Person: Family Name, Text X(40) String 40 mandatory 1
Person (name)—given name sequence number, code N - - mandatory 1
Person: Given Name, Text X(40) String 40 mandatory 1
Person (name)—name conditional use flag, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Person (name)—name suffix sequence number, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Person (name)—name suffix, text A[A(11)] - - mandatory 1
Person (name)—name title sequence number, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Person (name)—name title, text A[A(11)]
Specific Information:

For the purpose of positive identification of a person, each name title should be associated with a Name title sequence number.

Name title should not be confused with job title. An example of Name title is 'Mr' for Mister.

 - - mandatory 1
Person (name)—name type, code N Number 1 mandatory 1
Person—Australian state/territory identifier, code N Number 1 conditional 0
Person—country of birth, code (SACC 1998) NNNN
Specific Information:
Country of birth for newborn babies should be 'Australia'.
 - - mandatory 1
Person: Date of Birth, DDMMYYYY
Specific Information:
Date of birth must be less than of equal to the date of death.
 Date/Time 8 mandatory 1
Person—government funding identifier, Centrelink customer reference number {N(9)A} String 10 mandatory 1
Person—government funding identifier, Medicare card number N(11) Number 11 mandatory 1
Person—Indigenous status, code N Number 1 conditional 1
Person—mother’s original family name, text X[X(39)] String 40 mandatory 1
Person—person identifier, XXXXXX[X(14)]
Specific Information:
Field cannot be blank.
 - - mandatory 1
Person: Sex, Code N Number 1 mandatory 1

References


This content Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Attribution provided as required under the AIHW CC-BY licence.

Related content

Relation Count
As a numerator in an Indicator 0
As a denominator in an Indicator 0
As a disaggregation in an Indicator 0