Key Concepts

Below is a list of key words that are commonly used within the PMHC MDS and their definitions. If you require more information, please click on the linked text to see the relevant data elements field definition as shown under Specifications.

PMHC MDS

As TWB is an extension of the Primary Mental Health Care Minimum Data Set (PMHC MDS) the current PMHC MDS Key terms will be used. These are also available to be viewed at https://docs.pmhc-mds.com/data-specification/data-model-and-specifications.html#key-concepts.

Primary Health Network

Primary Health Networks (PHNs) have been established by the Australian Government with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes, and improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

Provider Organisation

The Provider Organisation is the business entity that the PHN has commissioned to provide the service.

Practitioner

The Practitioner is the person who is delivering the service.

Client

The Client (patient) is the person who is receiving the service.

Episode

For the purposes of the PMHC MDS, an Episode of Care is defined as a more or less continuous period of contact between a client and a PHN-commissioned provider organisation/clinician that starts at the point of first contact, and concludes at discharge. Episodes comprise a series of one or more Service Contacts. This structure allows for a logical data collection protocol that specifies what data are collected when, and by whom. Different sets of PMHC MDS items are collected at various points in the client’s engagement with the provider organisation. Some items are only collected once at the episode level, while others are collected at each Service Contact.

Three business rules apply to how the Episode of Care concept is implemented across PHN-commissioned services:

  • One episode at a time for each client, defined at the level of the provider organisation

    While an individual may have multiple Episodes of Care over the course of their illness, they may be considered as being in only one episode at any given point of time for any particular PHN-commissioned provider organisation. The implication is that the care provided by the organisation to an individual client at any point in time is subject to only one set of reporting requirements.

  • Episodes commence at the point of first contact. The episode start date will be derived from the first service contact date.

  • Discharge from care concludes the episode

    Discharge may occur clinically or administratively in instances where contact has been lost with the client. A new episode is deemed to commence if the person re-presents to the organisation.

TWB-Episode

TWB-Episode is the record format for collecting TWB episode data.

See TWB Episode for the data elements for TWB-Episode.

TWB-Critical Incidents

A Critical Incident is a suicide attempt, suicide death or death by any other means of a client during the episode.

TWB-NI

A Support Plan must be completed with a client within two weeks of their first attended Service Contact. Creating a support plan requires working with the client to identify their needs. This is to build an understanding of what will be of benefit and help form the goals of their Support Plan. These identified needs will fall into one of the categories listed. Multiple needs may be identified and therefore added.

Service Contact

Service Contact data linked to an Episode will be used in TWB.

Collection Occasion

A Collection Occasion is defined as an occasion during an Episode of Care when specific Service Activities are required to be collected. At a minimum, collection is required at both Episode Start and Episode End.

TWB will allow the following data records to be collected at a collection occasion:

See Collection Occasion data elements.