Indicator Set Updates

The Oral Health Manual (version 5) was finalised and has been endorsed. The Cancer Care clinical indicator has had a significant clarification around the definitions of several indicators. Developments in the review of several Clinical Indicator sets have been achieved.

Oral Health

The Oral Health Manual (version 5) was finalised and has been endorsed. This has been released for data collection, with reporting starting on the first half of 2023. Please update your collection now and note the number of new indicators in the set. The manual for this set is available on the ACHS website.

Cancer Care

The Cancer Care clinical indicator has had a significant clarification around the definitions of several indicators, so they are a bit easier to collect and report on. The version 1.2 is now available on our website. The clarifications affected almost every indicator in this set and if you have any ongoing queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, especially as this is a relatively new set.

CI Review and Development Updates

In the first half of 2022, several developments in the review of the following Clinical Indicator sets have been achieved and others are expected to be achieved within this year:
  

• Maternity: The user manual (version 9) has been finalised and sent to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) for endorsement. Pending successful endorsement by both RANZCOG and ACHS, we hope to release the new indicators for data collection by the end of the year, with reporting starting on the second half of 2023.
• Radiation Oncology: The user manual (version 6) has been finalised and sent to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) for endorsement. Pending successful endorsement by both RANZCR and ACHS, we hope to release the new indicators for data collection by the end of the year, with reporting starting on the second half of 2023. 
• Radiology: The working party for this set met on the 28th of July to review the existing indicators and stratification variables and discuss possible new indicators to add to the set. Development on the updated user manual (version 7) has commenced. We thank all the members who have provided feedback on the current set and the indicators which they would like to see in the updated set.
• Ophthalmology: The working party for this set has been organised, with the hope of meeting sometime between October - November to review the existing set. We thank all the members who have provided feedback on the current set and the indicators which they would like to see in the updated set. 
• Dermatology: ACHS is planning to re-invigorate this set this year and work is underway to set up the working party. The original set has not been reviewed since 2010. We are excited to have The Australasian College of Dermatologists as the endorsing body for this set. 
• Paramedical Care (NEW): This is a new clinical indicator set that we are excited to introduce to the current suite of ACHS clinical indicator sets. Finalisation of the working party is currently underway. We are thrilled to have the support of several organisations and to have the Council of Ambulance Authorities as the endorsing body for this set. 

The ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS classification system has been recently updated to the 12th Edition and is applicable for separations from 1 July 2022. As a result, we have updated all the ICD-10-AM codes within the clinical indicator user manuals, which is reflected by the slight change in user manual version number. The empty worksheets for data recording have also been updated accordingly. Please take some time to review the newer versions of the user manuals on the ACHS website.

Other additional updates to the existing user manuals include: 

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Exclude colonoscopies that include flexible sigmoidoscopy, from the denominator of CI 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3. 
Gynaecology: Exclude emergency procedures from CI 2.1 and 2.2.
Medication Safety: The denominator in CI 6.2 was changed to the number of total separations. 

POS would like to thank Dr Stephen Tobin, Clinical Advisor, Dr Janney Wale and Ms Stephanie Newell, Consumer Representatives, Ms Jillian Schaefer, Clinical Coder, and Mr Stephen Hancock, HSRG Statistician, for all their contributions in all projects mentioned above.