Types of services provided

The nature of the services provided to an admitted patient during an episode of care can be described in several ways, including by broad category of service and by diagnosis group. In Australia, diagnosis groups are based on the Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Group (AR-DRG).

Broad category of service

Hospitalisations are categorised into the following broad categories of service.

• Childbirth – includes all childbirth care such as caesarean delivery and vaginal delivery. Does not include newborn care.
• Mental health – includes mental health care for conditions such as dementia and depression.
• General intervention (Surgical) – includes surgical care such as knee replacement.
• Medical – includes care not involving surgical care such as haemodialysis.
• Specific intervention (Other) – includes care that is not Surgical or Medical such as endoscopy. 
• Subacute and non-acute care – includes rehabilitation, palliative, psychogeriatric, maintenance care or geriatric evaluation and management.

Of the 12.8 million hospitalisations that occurred in 2024–25:

• over half (54%) were for Medical care, 23% were for General intervention (Surgical) and 12% were for Specific intervention (Other)
• 79% of Childbirth hospitalisations and 77% of Medical hospitalisations occurred in public hospitals
• 67% of Specific intervention (Other) hospitalisations, 60% of Mental health hospitalisations and 59% of General intervention (Surgical) hospitalisations occurred in private hospitals.

General intervention (Surgical), Medical and Specific intervention (Other) are further divided in Emergency and Non-emergency categories. This is based on whether the admission occurred on an emergency or elective (non-emergency) basis.

In 2024–25, 28% of all hospitalisations in these categories were Emergency hospitalisations, and 72% were Non-emergency hospitalisations. This varies by hospital type – in 2024–25, 38% of all hospitalisations in public hospitals were classified as Emergency (according to their broad category of service), compared to 5% for private hospitals.

Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (AR-DRGs)

Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (AR-DRGs) is a classification system which provides a clinically meaningful way to relate the number and type of patients treated in a hospital to the resources required by the hospital. AR-DRGs group patients with similar diagnoses requiring similar hospital services.

Of the 7.6 million same-day acute hospitalisations that occurred in 2024–25:

• the 20 most common AR-DRGs accounted for around 2 in 3 hospitalisations (64%)
• 23% of hospitalisations in public and private hospitals were for Haemodialysis (dialysis), with Pharmacotherapy for neoplastic disorders the next most common AR-DRG (9.7%)
• 80% of hospitalisations for Haemodialysis (dialysis) occurred in public hospitals
• private hospitals provided high proportions of Dental extractions and restorations (86%) and Retinal procedures, minor complexity (83%).

Of the 4.1 million overnight acute hospitalisations that occurred in 2024–25:

• the 20 most common AR-DRGs accounted for around 1 in 5 hospitalisations (21%)
• 2 of the 3 most common AR-DRGs for hospitalisations occurred mostly in public hospitals (89% of Respiratory Infections and Inflammations, Major Complexity hospitalisations, and 81% of Vaginal delivery, intermediate complexity)
• 75% of hospitalisations for Knee Replacement, Minor Complexity were in private hospitals.