Background
The National Health Data and Information Standards Committee (NHDISC) provides advice to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) for its work in developing and maintaining national health data and information standards and related national health information infrastructure, in the context of the National Health Information Agreement (NHIA).
The NHIA is an agreement between the Australian Government and state/territory government health authorities. The Commonwealth of Australia is represented by the AIHW, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC), Department of Health (DoH), Department of Human Services (DHS), Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA), National Health Performance Authority (NHPA), National Health Funding Body (NHFB), and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The Agreement was established to coordinate the development, collection and dissemination of health information in Australia, including the development, endorsement and maintenance of national data standards.
Specifically, the objectives of the NHIA are to:
- promote the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of relevant, timely, accurate and reliable health information concerned with the full range of health services and of a range of population parameters (including health status and risks), in accordance with nationally agreed protocols and standards
- develop and agree on projects to improve, maintain and share national health information
- cooperate in the provision of resources necessary to address national health information development priorities efficiently and effectively
- provide the information required to research, monitor and improve health and the delivery of health services
- provide the information required to facilitate nationally agreed projects which promote the development and reform of the health care system
- promote the extension of the range of national health information and encourage other groups and individuals in government and non-government sectors to participate by making available information that they hold
- work towards improving consistency in data definitions, classifications and collections between health, community services and housing assistance.
The current National Health Information Agreement commenced on 1 October 2013.
Terms of reference
The NHDISC will:
- Oversee the development of, and endorse (by unanimous agreement1 amongst all jurisdictions):
- mandatory National Minimum Data Sets (NMDSs) for national collection and reporting
- National Best Endeavours Data Sets (NBEDSs) (a metadata set that is not mandated for national collection but where there is a commitment to provide data nationally on a best endeavours basis)
- National Best Practice Data Sets (NBPDSs) (a metadata set that is not mandated for collection but is recommended as best practice)
- Specifications for performance indicators to be reported under the National Healthcare Agreement 2012 and the Australian Health Performance Framework
- data standards for inclusion in the National Health Data Dictionary (NHDD) (housed in the AIHW's Metadata Online Repository, known as METEOR) including health related indicator sets.
- Provide advice to the AIHW affecting the national health data and information standards, including:
- national health information needs and priorities
- implications for the statistical system of new and emerging health information issues
- national statistical protocols and standards such as:
- data linkage
- geocoding
- data anonymisation protocols.
- Advise the AIHW, as the Australian Collaborating Centre for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Family of International Classifications, on the development, implementation and maintenance of the Australian Family of Health and related classifications (including endorsing classifications for inclusion in the Family) and endorse (by unanimous agreement amongst all jurisdictions) maps to classifications to be used for statistical reporting on national health information.
- Monitor and seek opportunities to improve the identification of Indigenous status and Indigenous issues in national data collections; and reporting and recognition of Indigenous health issues in the development of national data standards that underpin administrative reporting and research in the health sector.
- Refer strategic issues and issues for resolution arising from NHDISC activities to the AIHW's Strategic Committee for National Health Information (SCNHI).
- Liaise with other AIHW advisory committees on items of relevance.
Membership
Membership of the NHDISC comprises of:
- All signatories to the National Health Information Agreement, currently being:
- All jurisdictions
- Other entities:
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Services Australia
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority
- National Health Funding Body
- Representatives from other organisations/sectors:
- Australian Digital Health Agency
- Private hospitals sector
- Productivity Commission
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Private health insurance sector (Observer2)
- Any other members as determined necessary by the AIHW.
Secretariat
Secretariat support is provided by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Metadata and METEOR Unit, Canberra.
Contact details for the Secretariat
- Postal address
- NHDISC Secretariat
PO Box 570
Canberra ACT 2601 - Email address
- [email protected]
Related documents
Note
The Guidelines are a former National Health Information Standards and Statistics Committee (NHISSC) product, endorsed by AHMAC in 2017, and are being made publicly available on the AIHW website.
These Guidelines differ from the AIHW Confidentiality Policy and were developed for a different purpose. Where required by the jurisdictions, the AIHW applies these Guidelines in addition to its own Confidentiality Policy before making health data available.
Footnotes
- Unanimous agreement is required for NMDSs. For NBEDSs and BBPDSs there must be unanimous agreement that technical standards are met, although not every jurisdiction may be able to report against the specifications/standards for the starting year(s).
- At the discretion of the Chair, Observers may be invited to attend meetings. They can contribute at meetings, by contributing to discussions, by making oral presentations, by distributing documents at the meetings through the Chair, or by engaging in other activities as appropriate and as approved by Chair.