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Data Element Detail

Person-Indigenous status (registration, HBCIS)
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
QH 041940 v4
Data Element
Data Element
Draft
21-Oct-2020		Current
18-May-2021
Standard
Information Management Strategic Governance Committee (IMSGC), Queensland Health
01-Jan-2021
Whether a person identifies as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.
Indigenous status (HBCIS)
Representational Attributes
Numeric
Code
N(2)
2
2
Permissible Values

Permissible_values

CodeDescription
11Aboriginal not Torres Strait Islander
12Torres Strait Islander not Aboriginal
13Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
14Neither Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Supplementary Values

Supplemenary_values

CodeDescription
29Not stated/unknown - no follow-up required
39Not stated/unknown - follow-up required
Collection and Usage Attributes
Code 29 Not stated/unknown - no follow-up required
Use this code when the client has declined to respond.

Code 39 Not stated/unknown - follow-up required
Includes situations where it was impossible for the question to be asked during the contact episode and other situations where the response was left blank or incomplete.

Although provision is made for recording unknown Indigenous status every effort should be made to determine and record whether a person identifies as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin, subject to the person's right to privacy.
Should not be null.
This metadata item is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) standard for Indigenous status. For detailed advice on its use and application please refer to the ABS website as indicated in the Comments section.

The Indigenous status question allows for more than one response. The procedure for coding multiple responses is as follows:
- If the respondent answers 'Yes, Aboriginal' and 'Yes, Torres Strait Islander', then their response should be coded to 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin'.
- If the respondent answers 'No' and one or more of the following:
- 'Yes, Aboriginal'
- 'Yes, Torres Strait Islander'
- 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander'
then the response should be coded to 'Not stated/unknown' if the response cannot be clarified with the respondent.

The following information provides advice on the recommended way to ask the Indigenous status question.

Self-enumerated collections
For self-enumerated collections (for example, self-completed questionnaires or forms), the following question is recommended:
[Are you] [Is the person] [Is (name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
- No
- Yes, Aboriginal
- Yes, Torres Strait Islander

If [you] [the person] [(name)] are of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, answer using both 'Yes' options.

This approach may be problematic in some data collections, for example when data are collected using screen based data capture systems. An additional response category of 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' may be included if this better suits the data collection practices of the agency or establishment concerned.

If the Indigenous status question has not been completed on a returned form, this should be followed up and confirmed with the person.

Interviewer-conducted collections
For interviewer-conducted collections in which the Indigenous status of one person is collected, the following question set is recommended:

Q1. Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
- Yes
- No (no more questions)

Q2. Are you of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?
- Aboriginal
- Torres Strait Islander
- Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

The first question is used to sequence out persons not of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. The second question is used to determine the specific Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin of the person. A benefit of this approach is that the interviewer is not required to prompt the respondent with response categories. The 'Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' response category can be included or excluded in interviewer conducted collections depending on which option best suits the data collection practices of the agency concerned. Including the additional response category ensures that respondents are aware of the option to identify as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

Various articulations of the standard question are recommended to address the following circumstances:

Person is present and answers
This question wording is recommended where it is known that the person being interviewed is the subject:
Q1. Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
Q2. Are you of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

Person is not present and someone else who knows the person well answers
The following question wording is recommended when another member of the household answers for the person. Examples of such incidents include parents answering for children, or relatives answering in hospital situations.
Q1. Is [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
Q2. Is [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

Person is deceased and someone else answers on their behalf (for example, death information form)
In these circumstances a close relative or friend should answer. Only if a relative or friend is unavailable should the undertaker or other such person answer. Be mindful that in Aboriginal culture it is taboo to mention (or in some cases write) the name of a deceased person. Aboriginal people believe that if the deceased person's name is mentioned, the spirit is called back to this world. The suggested question wording follows:
Q1. Was [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
Q2. Was [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

Person is an infant and parents answer
In this circumstance it is recommended that parents are asked:
Q1. Do you identify [the baby's] [(name)'s] as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
Q2. Do you identify [the baby's] [(name)'s] as being of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

For interview conducted collections in which the Indigenous status of more than one person is collected from a household representative, the following question set is recommended:
Q1. Is anyone who (usually lives here) (or) (is visiting here) of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
- Yes
- No
Q2. Who are they?
Question 3 is asked of each person identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.
Q3. [Are you] [Is (name)] of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?
- Aboriginal
- Torres Strait Islander
- Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

The first question is used to sequence out households in which no Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people usually live (or are visiting). The second question is used to identify those usual residents (and visitors) of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. This approach eliminates the need to repeatedly ask the Indigenous status question of each individual in a household when data are collected on a single household form. It is particularly advantageous when collecting from areas with a large proportion of households with perons not of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.

For both self-enumerated collections and interviewer-conducted collections
The Indigenous status question can be used in circumstances where a close relative, friend, or another member of the household is answering on behalf of the subject. It is strongly recommended that the question be asked directly wherever possible.

When the subject person is not present, the person answering for them should be in a position to do so, that is, this person must know the person about whom the question is being asked well and feel confident to provide accurate information about them.

The Indigenous status question must always be asked regardless of data collectors' perceptions based on appearance or other factors.

The Indigenous status question may only be left unanswered in the following circumstances:
- Where the person declined to answer
- Where the question was not able to be asked because the client was unable to communicate or a person who knows the client was not available.

For Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (QHAPDC) and national reporting of the Person-Indigenous status data element the following mapping occurs:
Code 11 Aboriginal not Torres Strait Islander is mapped to code 1 Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin
Code 12 Torres Strait Islander not Aboriginal is mapped to code 2 Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin
Code 13 Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin is mapped to code 3 Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin
Code 14 Not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is mapped to code 4 Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin
Code 29 Not stated/unknown - no follow-up required is mapped to code 9 Not stated/unknown
Code 39 Not stated/Unknown - follow-up required is mapped to code 9 Not stated/unknown

This data element is mappable to the Person-Indigenous status (registration) data element as follows:
Code 11 Aboriginal not Torres Strait Islander is mapped to code 1 Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin
Code 12 Torres Strait Islander not Aboriginal is mapped to code 2 Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin
Code 13 Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin is mapped to code 3 Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin
Code 14 Not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is mapped to code 4 Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin
Code 29 Not stated/unknown - no follow-up required is mapped to code 9 Not stated/unknown - no follow-up required
Code 39 Not stated/Unknown - follow-up required is mapped to code 8 Not stated/unknown - follow-up required
The purpose of this data element is to provide information about people who identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples cultures are the oldest continuing living cultures in the world and should be celebrated. Unfortunately, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience unacceptable health inequity, and despite this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to display incredible resiliency and strengths. Accurate and consistent statistics about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples assists in planning, promoting and delivering essential services, to monitor changes in wellbeing and to account for government expenditure in this area.
The following definition, commonly known as 'The Commonwealth definition', was given in a High Court judgement in the case of Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 46 ALR 625. 'An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives'.
There are three components to the Commonwealth definition:
- descent;
- self-identification; and
- community acceptance.
In practice, it is not feasible to collect information on the community acceptance part of this definition in general purpose statistical and administrative collections and therefore standard questions on Indigenous status relate to descent and self-identification only.
This metadata item is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) standard for Indigenous status. For detailed advice on its use and application please refer to the ABS website https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/indigenous-status-standard/latest-release.
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References

Related Metadata References_IR

  • 1 - 2
ViewRelationshipMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifier & VersionApproval Status
SupersedesData ElementData ElementPerson-indigenous status (registration, HBCIS)QH 041940 Version 3Superseded
Is mappable toData ElementData ElementPerson-Indigenous statusQH 040290 Version 6Current
Implementation in Metadata Sets

Implemented

No Metadata Items
Source and Reference Attributes
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Division, Queensland Health
METeOR data element: Person-Indigenous status, code N, identifier 602543, Health standard 19/11/2015 https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/602543/meteorItemView/long
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability Information Sheet: Protocols for use of 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander' INTERNAL QH LINK NOT AVAILABLE
Aboriginal/Torres strait islander; Aboriginality; Indigenous status; Torres Strait Islander;