Data Specifications

The data specifications aim to standardise the information structure and language that names and describes clinical concepts, and to provide a basis for the development of further, context-targeted specifications that can be implemented by system designers.

They are not intended to be software or messaging design specifications. Instead, they represent the clinical information requirements for data collection and information exchange to facilitate safe and effective continuity of care across healthcare for example, General Practice and Acute Care.

Intended Audience

This resource is targeted at:

• jurisdictional ICT managers
• clinicians involved in clinical information system specifications
• software architects and developers, and
• implementers of clinical information systems and other relevant applications in various healthcare settings.

The content is reasonably technical in nature and expects the audience to be familiar with the language of health data specification and have some familiarity with Australian Standards for health messaging, and/or repositories of data specifications.

Ongoing Development

The development of data specifications is an iterative process. Consequently, the specifications may evolve in response to changing healthcare practices, workflow and information requirements. NEHTA welcomes feedback from interested parties as an ongoing commitment to the development of quality standards specifications. Email any feedback to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Data Group Library Disclaimer

A person accessing or using this National E-Health Data Group Library ("Library"), whether in electronic or printed form, by the act of access or use agrees to terms of this disclaimer. If the person does not agree to the terms of the disclaimer, they must not access or use this Library.

No Representation or Warranty
NEHTA makes the information and other material ("Information") in this Library available in good faith but without any representation or warranty by NEHTA, or by any of its officers or employees, as to the Information's accuracy, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose.

NEHTA and its officers or employees do not accept any responsibility or liability for the consequences (whether financial, clinical or otherwise) of access or use of the Information by any person. As the Information is of a general nature only, it is up to persons accessing or using the Information to ensure that it is suitable for the circumstances of its access or use. Any such access to, or use of, the Information is to be at the sole risk and responsibility of the person accessing or using it. NEHTA and its officers and employees are not responsible for any inaccuracy in, or omission from, the Information or for any unsuitability of the Information for any particular purpose.

Recommendations
Without limiting the general position stated above, this Library contains good faith recommendations and suggestions as to appropriate standards, protocols or other principles ("Standards") which may be of use to persons accessing the Information. However, any such recommendation or suggestion is not to be read or construed as a guarantee by NEHTA that the recommended Standards:

• Are or will be used by other persons;
• Are or will be endorsed, promulgated or mandated by NEHTA or Australian Government health authorities in the future in connection with e-health initiatives or otherwise;
• Will continue to be recommended by NEHTA in the future;
• Will achieve the results or outcomes that such Standards may express or imply or that a person accessing the information may want or expect;
• Will be appropriate for a person accessing the Information in light of their present or future clinical, intellectual property or information technology circumstances or in light of current and future clinical, intellectual property or information technology developments (especially, but not limited to, developments in the e-health environment).

Each person accessing the Information:

• Must not rely on NEHTA in determining whether or not to follow recommended Standards;
• Must make their own independent assessment of the appropriateness (or otherwise) of recommend Standards in light of the person's particular circumstances;
• Should seek their own professional advice in respect of any decision to rely on (or not rely on) recommended Standards. NEHTA is not liable for any:
  • Defect in, or omission from, any recommended Standards;
  • Reliance by any person on any recommended Standards;
  • Any other direct or indirect consequences of relying (or not relying) on recommended Standards (whether such consequences are financial, clinical or otherwise).

NEHTA reserves the right to change its recommendations in respect of Standards from time to time without having to provide reasons or give prior notice. When recommendations are changed, NEHTA has no obligation to indicate which recommendations were changed compared with recommendations previously made.

Document Control
This Library is maintained in electronic form. The current revision of this Library will be available from time to time in electronic form on this website. This Library is uncontrolled in printed form. It is the responsibility of the user to verify that the copy in printed form is of the latest revision. NEHTA reserves the right to withdraw or modify this Library in any way without having to provide reasons or give prior notice. When modifications are made, NEHTA has no obligation to indicate where modifications were made compared with any prior version.

Trademarks
Company, product, and service names mentioned in this Library may be trademarks or service marks. Those marks are the property of their respective owners. References to those companies, products or services are not to be read or construed as an endorsement or approval by the companies, or the respective owners, of the Information. Likewise, reference to those companies, products or services is not to be read or construed an endorsement of them by NEHTA. It is the responsibility of each person accessing the Information and the Standards to ensure that they do not, in following any recommended Standards, infringe the intellectual property or information technology rights of any other person.

Links to External Websites
Where this disclaimer appears on a website that has links to websites that are external to NEHTA, NEHTA has acted in good faith in providing the links.

However, NEHTA has no direct or indirect control of the operation of those websites (especially, but not limited to, matters of privacy or risk of damage to, or failure of, the user's software or hardware by linking through to the external sites) or over the content, or changes in the content, of those websites. Accordingly, each user of the links uses and relies on the link and linked websites at their own risk and without recourse to NEHTA and must make their own assessment of the accuracy, currency, reliability and correctness of the information on those sites.

Copyright © NEHTA 2007-2009
This Library contains information which is protected by copyright. All Rights Reserved. All copies of this Library must include the copyright and other information contained on this page.

Comments & Feedback
Comments on  the accuracy, usefulness and presentation of this material will be gratefully appreciated and may be sent to the following address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Data Group Library

The National E-Health Data Group Library (Data Group Library or DGL) contains a suite of specifications developed for the Australian healthcare sector. It has been developed to provide user-friendly access to our data specifications for clinical concepts. It provides the existing clinical data specifications in a format that facilitates exploration.

The specifications we are developing are required to standardise data communication and, ultimately, to achieve level 4 semantic interoperability in the Australian healthcare environment. Semantic interoperability means that the information exchanged by different computer systems can be interpreted by both computer applications and human users.