[WWW - 2023.07.31]
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
QH 040290 v5
Data Element
Data Element
Draft
24-Mar-2016
Current
15-Aug-2016
Superseded
17-May-2021
Standard
15-Aug-2016
31-Dec-2020
Whether a person identifies as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.
Clinical and administrative purposes and individual identification.
Indigenous status
Representational Attributes
Numeric
Code
N
1
1
Permissible Values

Permissible_values

CodeDescription
1Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin
2Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin
3Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin
4Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin
Supplementary Values

Supplemenary_values

CodeDescription
9Not stated/unknown
Collection and Usage Attributes
Indigenous status data should be sourced from or verified against the data held in the Corporate Reference Data System (CRDS) maintained by the Statistical Services Branch (SSB).

The classification for Indigenous status has a hierarchical structure comprising two levels. There are four categories at the detailed level of the classification which are grouped into two categories at the broad level. There is one supplementary category for 'not stated/unknown' responses. The classification is as follows:

Indigenous Australians:
- Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin.
- Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin.
- Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

Non-indigenous Australians:
- Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin.

Not stated/unknown:
This category is not to be available as a valid answer to the questions but is intended for use:
- Primarily when importing data from other data collections that do not contain mappable data.
- Where the answer cannot be determined without clarification from the respondent (for example, 'No' and 'Yes, Aboriginal' are both selected).
- Where an answer was declined.
- 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.

Although provision is made for recording unknown Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin every effort should be made to determine and record a person's indigenous status.
Should not be null.

Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (QHAPDC):
Must not be null.
Validated against a list of Indigenous status codes.
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 Reference documents.

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 non-Indigenous Australians. 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. 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 (e.g. perinatal information form)
In this circumstance it is recommended that parents are asked:
Q1. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] mother of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
Q2. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] mother of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?
and
Q1. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] father of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
Q2. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] father 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 non-Indigenous Australians.

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.

Death Registrations:
The Indigenous status of the deceased is recorded.

Oral Health Data Supply Requirement (DSR):
Used to identify clients of Indigenous Australian descent, who are a high risk group that receive priority treatment.

Queensland Needle and Syringe programs (QNSP) Data Supply Requirement (DSR):
This data element is collected on each occasion of service. Prior to 1 November 2009 collection of this data element was optional.

Queensland Opioid Treatment Program (QOTP) Admission Data Supply Requirement (DSR):
Provide the client's indigenous status as indicated on the Queensland Opioid Treatment Program (QOTP) Admission form.

Other Data Collections which include this data element: Mental Health Activity Data Collection (MHADC), Community Mental Health Collection (CMHC).


Queensland Trauma Data Collection:
ATR Validation: 31-34,99
ATR Correspondence: Single
Permissible values:
For reporting to the ATR, the following mapping occurs:
Code 1 Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin maps to 31 Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin.
Code 2 Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin maps to 32 Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin.
Code 3 Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin maps to 33 Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.
Code 4 Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin maps to 34 Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin.
Code 9 Not stated/unknown maps to 99 Not stated/ unknown.
Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples occupy a unique place in Australian society and culture. In the current climate of reconciliation, accurate and consistent statistics about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are needed in order to plan, promote and deliver essential services, to monitor changes in wellbeing and to account for government expenditure in this area.

The purpose of this data element is to provide information about people who identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.

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 as indicated in the Reference documents.

 
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References

Related Metadata References_IR

  • 1 - 3
ViewRelationshipMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifier & VersionApproval Status
SupersedesData ElementData ElementPerson-indigenous statusQH 040290 Version 4Superseded
Has been superseded byData ElementData ElementPerson-Indigenous statusQH 040290 Version 6Current
Is mappable fromData ElementData ElementPerson-indigenous status (registration, HBCIS)QH 041940 Version 3Superseded
Implementation in Metadata Sets

Implemented

  • 1 - 15
ViewMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifer & VersionObligationApproval StatusEffective FromEffective To
Data Supply RequirementOtherCause of death Unit Record File (COD URF) Data Supply Requirement (DSR)QH 020344 Version 1MandatoryCurrent01-Jul-201631-Dec-2020
Information AssetData RepositoryDeath RegistrationsQH 020227 Version 2MandatoryCurrent01-Jul-201931-Dec-2020
Information AssetData RepositoryDeath RegistrationsQH 020227 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-201630-Jun-2019
Data Supply RequirementOtherDeath Registrations Data Supply Requirement (DSR)QH 020359 Version 1MandatoryDraft15-Aug-201631-Dec-2020
Information AssetData CollectionElective Surgery Data Collection (ESDC)QH 020110 Version 2MandatoryCurrent01-Jul-201931-Dec-2020
Information AssetData CollectionElective Surgery Data Collection (ESDC)QH 020110 Version 1MandatorySuperseded15-Aug-201630-Jun-2019
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Census Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2018-2019QH 020427 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-201830-Jun-2019
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Census Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2019-2020QH 020568 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-201930-Jun-2020
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Census Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2020-2021QH 020682 Version 1MandatoryCurrent01-Jul-202031-Dec-2020
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Removals Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2017-2018QH 020303 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-201730-Jun-2018
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Removals Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2018-2019QH 020429 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-201830-Jun-2019
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Removals Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2019-2020QH 020567 Version 1MandatorySuperseded01-Jul-201930-Jun-2020
Data Supply RequirementHHS Service AgreementElective Surgery Waiting List Removals Data Supply Requirement (DSR) 2020-2021QH 020683 Version 1MandatoryCurrent01-Jul-202031-Dec-2020
Information AssetData CollectionEmergency Data Collection (EDC)QH 020159 Version 2MandatoryCurrent01-Jul-201931-Dec-2020
Information AssetData CollectionEmergency Data Collection (EDC)QH 020159 Version 1MandatorySuperseded15-Aug-201630-Jun-2019
Source and Reference Attributes
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
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