Person—Individual Healthcare Identifier, N(16)
Data Element Attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes | |
Metadata item type: | Data Element |
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Short name: | Individual Healthcare Identifier |
Synonymous names: | IHI |
METEOR identifier: | 743458 |
Registration status: | Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 |
Definition: | The numerical identifier that uniquely identifies each individual in the Australian healthcare system. |
Data Element Concept: | Person—Individual Healthcare Identifier |
Value Domain: | Identifier N(16) |
Value domain attributes | ||
Representational attributes | ||
Representation class: | Identifier | |
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Data type: | Number | |
Format: | N(16) | |
Maximum character length: | 16 |
Data element attributes | |
Collection and usage attributes | |
Guide for use: | Each person's Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) is unique within the Australian healthcare system. Record the full IHI for an individual. The IHI is part of the Australian Government's digital health initiative developed to enhance the way information is exchanged, shared and managed in the Australian health sector. Electronic identifiers and the systems underpinning them were developed and are maintained by the Healthcare Identifiers (HI) Service. IHIs are automatically assigned to all individuals registered with Medicare Australia or enrolled in the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) programs. Those not enrolled in Medicare Australia or with the DVA are assigned a temporary number when they next seek health care; this is then validated by the HI Service Operator and becomes their unique IHI. Each IHI has an Record Status; this describes whether verification of the identifier of the individual has occurred and is based on the evidence available of a person's identity. The IHI number does not change regardless of the person's Record Status. Each IHI also has a Number Status; this describes whether the IHI number is in use: The format of the number is as follows: Digits N1-N6: The issuer identification number, which in turn is made up of: N1-N2, Major industry identifier: 80 = health Digits N7-N15: Individual account identification (9 digits for the unique identifier) Digit N16: Check digit |
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Collection methods: | Authorised healthcare providers and their authorised staff can access an individual's IHI online through the HI Service at the Australian Government Services Australia website. |
Comments: | The IHI is an Australian Government's digital health initiative and supports the accurate retrieval, discovery and recording of an individual's electronic health information, as part of the delivery of healthcare in Australia. |
Source and reference attributes | |
Submitting organisation: | Independent Hospital Pricing Authority |
Relational attributes | |
Related metadata references: | Supersedes Person—Individual Healthcare Identifier, N(16) Health!, Superseded 20/10/2021 See also Identifier—identifier status, Individual Healthcare Identifier number status code N Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 See also Identifier—record status, Individual Healthcare Identifier record status code N Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 |
Implementation in Data Set Specifications: | Individual Healthcare Identifier NBEDS 2022-23 Health!, Standard 20/10/2021 Implementation start date: 01/07/2022 Implementation end date: 30/06/2023 |