A code which indicates the type of elective hospital care (elective surgery or other) a patient requires combined with a clinical assessment of the urgency with which the patient requires elective hospital care.
The urgency categories are assigned on the following basis:
Category 1 - admission within 30 days desirable for a condition that has the potential to deteriorate quickly to the point that it may become an emergency.
Category 2 - admission within 90 days desirable for a condition causing some pain, dysfunction or disability but which is not likely to deteriorate quickly or become an emergency.
Category 3 - admission at some time in the future acceptable for a condition causing minimal or no pain, dysfunction or disability, which is unlikely to deteriorate quickly and which does not have the potential to become an emergency.