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Data Element Detail

Elective patient status
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
QH 040291 v2
Data Element
Data Element
Current
01-Jul-2000		Superseded
03-Aug-2014
Standard
01-Jul-2000
30-Jun-2014
Elective care is care that, in the opinion of the treating clinician, is necessary, and admission for which can be delayed for at least 24 hours. Emergency care is care that, in the opinion of the treating clinician, is necessary and admission for which cannot be delayed for more than 24 hours.
Institutional health care
Elective patient status
Representational Attributes
Numeric
Code
N
1
1
Permissible Values

Permissible_values

CodeDescription
1Emergency admission
2Elective admission
3Not assigned
Supplementary Values

Supplemenary_values

-
Collection and Usage Attributes
Code 1 Emergency admission
The following guidelines may be used by health professionals, hospitals and health insurers in determining whether an emergency admission has occurred. These guidelines should not be considered definitive.

An emergency admission occurs if one or more of the following clinical conditions are applicable such that the patient required admission within 24 hours.

Such a patient would be:
- at risk of serious morbidity or mortality and requiring urgent assessment and/or resuscitation; or
- suffering from suspected acute organ or system failure; or
- suffering from an illness or injury where the viability or function of a body part or organ is acutely threatened; or
- suffering from a drug overdose, toxic substance or toxin effect; or
- experiencing severe psychiatric disturbance whereby the health of the patient or other people is at immediate risk; or
- suffering severe pain where the viability or function of a body part or organ is suspected to be acutely threatened; or
- suffering acute significant haemorrhage and requiring urgent assessment and treatment; or
- suffering gynaecological or obstetric complications; or
- suffering an acute condition which represents a significant threat to the patient's physical or psychological wellbeing; or
- suffering a condition which represents a significant threat to public health.

If an admission meets the definition of emergency above, it is categorised as emergency, regardless of whether the admission occurred within 24 hours of such a categorisation being made, or after 24 hours or more.

Code 2 Elective admission
If an admission meets the definition of elective care, it is categorised as elective, regardless of whether the admission occurred after 24 hours or more, or it occurred within 24 hours. The distinguishing characteristic is that the admission could be delayed by at least 24 hours.

Scheduled admissions:
A patient who expects to have an elective admission will often have that admission scheduled in advance. Whether or not the admission has been scheduled does not affect the categorisation of the admission as emergency or elective, which depends only on whether it meets the definitions above. That is, patients both with and without a scheduled admission can be admitted on either an emergency or elective basis.

Code 3 Not assigned
Admissions for which an 'Elective patient status' is usually not assigned:
- admissions for normal delivery (obstetric)
- admissions which begin with the birth of the patient, or when it was intended that the birth occur in the hospital, commence shortly after the birth of the patient
- statistical admissions
- planned readmissions for the patient to receive limited care or treatment for a current condition, for example dialysis or chemotherapy.
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References

Related Metadata References_IR

  • 1 - 3
ViewRelationshipMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifier & VersionApproval Status
SupersedesData ElementData ElementElective patient statusQH 040291 Version 1Superseded
Has been superseded byData ElementData ElementEpisode of admitted patient care-emergency/elective admission statusQH 041736 Version 1Superseded
Relates toData ElementData Element ConceptElective careQH 040155 Version 1Current
Implementation in Metadata Sets

Implemented

  • 1 - 1
ViewMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifer & VersionObligationApproval StatusEffective FromEffective To
Information AssetData CollectionQueensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (QHAPDC)QH 020001 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-200030-Jun-2014
Source and Reference Attributes
Admission type; Election status; Elective patient; Emergency patient;