1. Introduction
Version 4.0 introduces the recording of intake related activity (including activity for the Head to Health and AMHC programmes) in the PMHC MDS as part of the core specification.
The new version 4 specification comprises 4 entirely new tables, and the revised collection occasion/measure tables that have been included in the the Wayback and HeadtoHelp extension specifications.
The new tables are Intake, IAR-DST, Intake Episode, Service Contact Practitioner.
1.1. Contexts
There are three contexts where data can be submitted using the version 4 specification:
Intake teams
Treatment organisations
Combined Intake/Treatment organisations
Different records in the specification are intended to be used in each of these contexts.
Within the PMHC-MDS system a single intake team and individual service providers/treatment organisations will each have their own organisation path and report data against those organisations.
1.1.1. Intake Context
Where an organisation is only providing intake services and not providing any treatment services, they can use the following data model to submit data to the PMHC MDS:
In the Intake context the following records will need to be provided:
Episode and Service contact activity is not submitted in this context.
The collection of Intake and IAR data may not be required for all programs. Please see Intake.
1.1.2. Treatment Service Provider Context
Where an organisation is only providing treatment services and not providing any intake services, they can use the following data model to submit data to the PMHC MDS:
In the treatment context the specification works almost the same as a service reporting via the Version 2 core PMHC-MDS specification using the new Intake Episode record to identify additional detail regarding referrals in from the intake teams (Intake Organisation Path and Intake Key), referrals out to additional services (Organisation type referred to at Episode conclusion), and the involvement of multiple practitioners in service contacts (Service Contact Practitioner) which allows multiple endorsements.
Intake and IAR-DST activity is not submitted in this context.
1.1.3. Combined Intake/Treatment Context
Where an organisation is providing both intake services and treatment services, they can use the full data model to submit data to the PMHC MDS:
In the combined context all the records described in both the Intake Context and Treatment Service Provider Context can be submitted.
1.2. New Records and Fields in Version 4
1.2.1. Intake
The model now records a new Intake record where an episode has undertaken an Intake process. The collection of Intake and IAR data may not be required for all programs. Please see Intake.
The Intake table records information about the intake.
Organisation Path and Intake Key are the two fields required to link the Intake record at the intake provider organisation to the Episode record at the treatment organisation.
The values of these fields should be passed along by the intake organisation to the treatment organisation where the treatment organisation will use them to fill in Intake Organisation Path and Intake Key. This will then link the Intake record at the intake organisation with the Episode record at the treatment organisation.
1.2.2. IAR-DST Measure
The model now captures the domains and the recommended level of care pertinent to the IAR-DST that clients have completed for them as part of the intake process. A new IAR-DST record will be created for each intake process.
Consistent with the existing measures in the MDS, the domain scores will be captured as well as the recommended level of care. The purpose of collecting both domain scores and recommended level of care is to:
allow verification of IAR-DST scoring processes, thereby catching scoring implementation errors early should they arise, and
provide a resource that can be used to better understand how the IAR-DST scoring algorithm performs in real world environments supporting ongoing improvement of the tool.
The collection of Intake and IAR data may not be required for all programs. Please see Intake.
1.2.3. Episode and Intake Episode
- When the client is referred to a PMHC MDS reporting treatment service
a new Episode record is created.
Where the client has been referred via an intake process, an additional Intake Episode record is also created.
The Intake Episode table comprises a composite foreign key to link it back to an episode record on which all the episode information is recorded. This linkage is done via two fields:
The identifier of the intake team (Intake Organisation Path)
The episode identifier of the intake team (Intake Key)
The Episode record has been expanded with one new field - the organisation(s) to which the organisation refers the client (Organisation type referred to at Episode conclusion)
The collection of Intake and IAR data may not be required for all programs. Please see Intake.
1.2.4. Entering/Uploading Intake and Episode data
When entering or uploading Intake and Episode data, the PMHC MDS does not validate that an Intake record exists when an Intake Episode record is uploaded. They can be uploaded independently of each other. There is a planned suite of reports that will allow organisations to identify Intake and Episode records that are not linked.
1.2.5. Service Contact
The Service Contact record has been expanded with two new fields:
The time that the contact started (Start Time). This is intended to enable identification of activity undertaken during extended hours.
The funding source for the service contact (Funding Source)
1.2.6. Service Contact Practitioner
A new record - Service Contact Practitioner replaces the Practitioner Key field on the Version 2 Service Contact record.
Service Contact Practitioner acknowledges the involvement of multiple practitioners in a service contact. One practitioner (and only one) must be identified as the primary practitioner.
1.3. Data release and confidentiality
All data collection and reporting requirements are required to comply with relevant Commonwealth, State and Territory Information Privacy and Health Records regulations. Clients will be informed that some de-identified portions of the information collected through the PMHC MDS Service will be utilised for Commonwealth, State and Territory planning and statistical purposes. Appropriate consent and ethics approval processes will be adhered to.