Introduction
This list of acronyms and glossary terms was compiled by the Departmental Library from Departmental websites, annual reports and lists prepared by various Divisions within the Department.Where a term has a broader general meaning, the definition given refers to its use in the DoH context. For an authoritative source of health-related definitions used in Australia, see the Health Thesaurus and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's National Health Data Dictionary (NHDD). Also see Medspeak Terms on the Medical Library Association website.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | XYZ
A3GP - Australian Association of Academic General PracticeAA - Alzheimer's Australia
AAG - Australian Association of Gerontology
A/g - Acting
A&E - Accident and Emergency
AAAGP - Australian Association of Academic General Practice
AAQHC - Australasian Association for Quality in Health Care
AAC - Ageing and Aged Care
AACAP - ATSIC Army Community Assistance Program
AACD - Ageing and Aged Care Division
AACP - Aged and Aged Care Program
AACR - Australian Association of Cancer Registries
Top of pageAACS - Applied Aged Care Solutions
AAGP - Australian Association of General Practitioners
AAHL - Australian Animal Health Laboratory
AAP - Australian Association of Pathology Practices
AAPM - Australian Association of Practice Managers
AAPM - American Association of Physicists in Medicine
AAPROP - Australian Association of Professional Radiation Oncology Providers
AARN - Association for Australian Rural Nurses
AASB - Australian Accounting Standards Board
AAT - Administrative Appeals Tribunal
AAWCH - Australian Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital
ABA - Aboriginals Benefit Account - funding source in NT Govt.
ABF - Australian Brain Foundation Inc.
ABF - Activity Based Funding
ABI - Acquired Brain Injury
ABL - Australian bat lyssavirus
Top of pageAboriginal - A person of Aboriginal descent who identifies as an Aboriginal and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives.
ABS - Australian Bureau of Statistics
ABMDR - Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
ACA - Australian Consumer’s Association
ACAA - Aged Care Association Australia
ACAC - Aged Care Advisory Committee
ACAM - Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring
ACAP - Aged Care Assessment Program
ACAR - Aged Care Approvals Round
ACAS - Aged Care Assessment Service
ACAT - Aged Care Assessment Teams
ACBA - Australian Coding Benchmark Audit
ACBHSC - Australian Community Based Health Services Codeset
Top of pageACC- Aged and Community Care
ACC - Australasian Cochrane Centre
ACCC - Australian Casemix Clinical Committee
ACCC - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
ACCCN - Australian College of Critical Care Nurses
ACCHO - Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
ACCHS - Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services
ACCHS - Adelaide Central Community Health Service
ACCMIS - Aged and Community Care Management Information System
ACCN - Australian Council of Community Nursing
ACCNS - Australian Council of Community Nursing Services
Accountable - Being held responsible
Accreditation - Being granted recognition for meeting designated standards for structure, process and outcome
ACCR - Aged Care Client Record
ACCS - Aged Care Complaints Scheme
ACCSIS - Pre ACCMIS product
Top of pageAccreditation (aged care) - A process through which residential aged care homes must go in order to be recognised as approved providers under the Aged Care Act 1997.
ACD - Australasian College of Dermatologists
ACDON - Australian Council of Deans of Nursing
ACEi - Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
ACEM - Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
ACF - Aged Care Facility
ACFI - Aged Care Funding Instruments
Top of pageACGR - Australian Competitive Grants Register
ACHA - Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged Program
ACHA - Australian Community Health Association
ACHP-RU - Australian Centre for Health Promotion Research Unit
ACHI - Australian Classifications of Health Interventions
ACHS - Australian Council on HealthCare Standards
Top of pageACHSE - Australian College of Health Service Executives
ACIR - Australian Childhood Immunisation Register
ACL - Access Control Lists
ACM - Australian College of Midwives
ACN - Australian Cancer Network
ACNVRGP - Australian College of Non-VRGPs
ACO - Asset Control Officer
ACOM - Australian Catalogue of Medicines
ACON - AIDS Council of NSW
ACORN - Australian College of Operating Room Nurses
Top of pageACOSS - Australian Council of Social Services
ACPAC - Aged Care Planning Advisory Committees
ACPM - Australian College of Psychological Medicine
ACPR - Aged Care Payments Redevelopment
ACPS - Aged Care Program Support
ACR - Albumin-creatinine ratio
ACROD - National Industry Associatio for Disability Services
ACRRM - Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
ACPA - Australian Community Pharmacy Authority
ACPSEM - Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine
ACS - Aged Care Systems
ACSA - Aged and Community Services Australia
Top of pageACSAA - Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency
ACSHP - Australasian College of Sexual Health Physicians
ACSI - Australian Communications-Electronic Security Instructions
ACSQHC - Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
ACSRG - Aged Care Systems Reference Group
ACT - Australian Clinical Thesaurus
ACTDGP - ACT Divisions of General Practice
ACTO - ACT Office (State Office)
ACT - Australian Capital Territory
ACTU - Australian Council of Trade Unions
Acute - Coming on sharply and often brief, intense and severe
Top of pageAcute Hospitals - Public, Department of Veterans Affairs (repatriation) and private hospitals which provide services primarily to admitted patients with acute or temporary ailments. The average length of stay is relatively short
ACWG - Aged Care Working Group
ACYS - Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies
ADA - Australian Dental Association
ADAC - Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council (SA Inc).
ADACAS - ACT Disability, Aged & Carer Advocacy Service (ACT)
ADC - Aboriginal Development Commission (disbanded when ATSIC created)
ADCA - Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia
Addiction/addictive use - A condition marked by repeated and compulsive activity in a manner or at a level that is harmful or dangerous. Term is most often applied to addictive drug use, such as with alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, but could be applied to gambling or many other practices
Additional Estimates - Where amounts appropriated at Budget time are insufficient, Parliament may appropriate more funds to portfolios through the Additional Estimates Acts. (i.e. Appropriation Acts 3 and 4)
ADEC - Australian Drug Evaluation Committee
ADF - Australian Drug Foundation
ADGP - former Australian Divisions of General Practice (now AGPN)
Top of pageADHD - Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake
ADIA - Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association
ADIN - Australian Drug Information Network
ADL - Activities of Daily Living (ACATs Assessment tool)
ADM - Admission
ADMG - Australian Disaster Management Group
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subsciber Line
Adverse Event - An incident in which harm resulted to a person receiving health care
Adverse Reaction - An adverse event where the correct process was followed for the context in which the event occurred but unexpected and unpreventable harm resulted.
AE - Additional Estimates
AEIFRS - Australian Equivalents of International Financial Reporting Standards
AERF - Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation
AFAO - Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
Top of pageAdministered items - Expenses, revenues, assets or liabilities that agencies administer on behalf of the Commonwealth. Administered expenses include grants, subsidies and benefits. Funds which are spent on behalf of the Government according to Government direction (for example, funding for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme)
Administrative data - Data that are routinely collected in the course of general administration. Includes data from the Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages and hospital morbidity data
Administrative Funds - Are funds allocated to cover the overhead or running costs structure of the Department (eg salaries, use of consultants, property operating expenses, printing etc)
AFC - Audit and Fraud Control
AFFA - Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia
Affective Disorders - Mood disorders such as depression, mania and bipolar affective disorder
AFGC - Australian Food and Grocery Council
AFMW - Australian Federation of Medical Women
AFP - Australian Federal Police
AFRM - Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
AFS - Additional Funding Support
AFS - Audited Financial Statement
Top of pageAGA - Architectural General Advice (carried out by BAA)
AGAR - Australian Group on Antimicrobial Register
AGCA - Australian Guidance and Counselling Association
AGCC - Australian Government Credit Card
Agent - One who, or that which, acts to produce a change
AGEST - Australian Government Employees Superannuation Trust
AGHS - Australian Government Health Services (now Health Services Australia)
AGIMIS - Australian Government Indigenous Management Information System
AGPAL - Australian General Practice Accreditation Ltd
AGPN - Australian General Practice Network
AGPS - Australian Government Publishing Service (defunct)
AGPT - Australian General Practice Training
AGS - Australian Government Solicitor
AGS No. - Australian Government Service Number (your personal identifier)
Top of pageAge Standardisation - A method of removing the influence of age when comparing populations with different age structures. This is usually necessary because the rates of many diseases vary strongly (usually increasing) with age. The age structures of the different populations are converted to the same standard structure, then the disease rates that would have occurred with that structure are calculated and compared
Agency - Means a Department of State or a Prescribed Agency
AH - Australian Hearing
AHA - Australian Healthcare Association
AHAC - Aboriginal Health Advisory Committee
AHAG - Allied Health Advisory Group
AHC - Australian Hepatitis Council
AHC - Aboriginal Health Council
AHCA - Australian Health Care Agreements
AHCPR - Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (U.S.)
AHD-MPC - Australian Health Disaster Management and Policy Committee
AHEC - Australian Health Ethics Committee
AHHA - Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association
AHIA - Australian Health Insurance Association
AHIC - Australian Health Information Council
AHMAC - Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council
AHMC - Australian Health Ministers' Conference
Top of pageAHMC - Australian Health Ministers’ Council
AHPA - Australian Health Promotion Association
AHPMC - After Hours Primary Medical Care
AHPMCT - After Hours Primary Medical Care Trials
AHPRA - Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
AHPSA - Australian Health Promoting Schools Association
AHSAC - Australian Hospital Statistics Advisory Committee
AHRC - Aboriginal Health Resource Cooperative
AHS - Australian Hearing Services
AHS - Australian Housing Survey
AHS - Aboriginal Health Services
AHSPIA - Australian Hearing Specialist Program for Indigenous Australians
AHURI - Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
AHW - Aboriginal Health Worker
AHW - Allied Health Worker
AHWAC - Australian Health Workforce Advisory Council
AHWAC - Australian Health Workforce Advisory Council
AHWMC - Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council
Top of pageAIA - Australian Immunisation Agreements
AIATSIS - Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
AICAFMA - Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association
AICR - American Institute of Cancer Research
AIDA - Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association
AIDAB - Australian International Development Assistance Bureau
AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIEA - Agence Internationale Energie Atomique
AIFS - Australian Institute of Family Studies
AIGC - Australian Indigenous Geographical Classification
AIHW - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
AIMS - Australian Independent Medical Services
AIPC - Australian Institute for Primary Care
AIR - Australian Institute of Radiography
AIRC - Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Top of pageAIRWG - Attendance Item Restructure Working Group (re: the 7-tier MBS structure)
AIS - Abbreviated Injury Scale
AISC - Accreditation Interim Steering Committee
AIWG - Aboriginal and Islander Working Group
ALGA - Australian Local Government Association
ALO – Aboriginal Liaison Officer
ALOS - Average Length of Stay
ALRC- Australian Law Reform Commission
ALS – Aboriginal Legal Service
Alzheimer’s disease - A disease (named after a German physician) in which there is progressive loss of brainpower shown by worsening short-term memory, confusion and disorientation. A form of dementia
AMA - Australian Medical Association
AMAC - Australian Medical Association, Queensland
AMACom - AMA Commercial Ltd
AMARRG - AMA Rural Reference Group
Ambulatory Care - Care provided to hospital patients who are not admitted to the hospital, such as patients of emergency departments and outpatient clinics. The term is also used to refer to care provided to patients of community-based (non-hospital) health care services
AMC - Australian Medical Council
AMC - Agreement Management Committee
AMCGP - Alternative Models to Corporatisation in General Practice
AMDS - Approved Medical Deputising Service
Top of pageAMEX - American Express credit card
AMHCN - Australian Mental Health Consumer Network
AMHS - Adult Mental Health Services
AMHW - Aboriginal Mental Health Worker
AMPCO - Australian Medical Publishing Company
AMS - Applications Management Services
AMSA - Australian Medical Students’ Association
AMSANT - Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance of NT
AMSN - Area of Medical Service Need
AMTS - Australian Morbidity and Treatment Survey
AMWAC - Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee
ANAMH - Australian National Association for Mental Health
ANAO - Australian National Audit Office
ANAPHI - Australian Network of Academic Public Health Institutions
ANC - Australian Nursing Council
Top of pageANCARD - Australian National Council on AIDS and Related Diseases (now ANCAHRD)
ANCAHRD - Australian National Council on AIDS, Hepatitis C and RelatedDiseases
ANCD - Australian National Council on Drugs
AN-DRG - Australian National Diagnosis Related Group
ANET - AFAO/NAPWA Education Team
ANCAHRD - Australian National Council for AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases
ANF - Australian Nursing Federation
ANGOSA - Association of Non Government Organisations of South Australia
ANHECA - Australian Nursing Home and Extended Care Association
AN-SNAP - Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient
ANTaR - Australians for Native Title and Recognition
ANZCA - Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
ANZCMHN - Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses
Top of pageAnxiety disorders - A group of mental disorders marked by excessive feelings of apprehension, worry, nervousness and stress. Includes panic disorder, various phobias, generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder
ANZDATA - Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry
ANZFA - Australia New Zealand Food Authority now called Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
ANZSPM - Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine
ANZTC - Australian New Zealand Telehealth Committee
AOD - Alcohol and Other Drugs
AODAW - Australian Organ Donar Awareness Week
AODP - Alcohol and Other Drugs Program (NT DHCS)
AODR - Australian Organ Donar Register
AODTS - Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services
AOI - Approved Outcome Indicator
AOM - Acute Otitis media
AP - Anangu Pitjantjatjara
AP - Approved Provider
Top of pageAPA - Approved Pathology Authorities
APAC - Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council
APCCP - Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program
APCCP - Australian Primary Care Consumer Partnerships
APC NMDS - Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set
APDC - Australian Psychiatric Disability Coalition
APHA - Australian Private Hospitals Association
APHCRI - Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute
APL - Approved Pathology Laboratory
APMAIF - Advisory Panel for Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula
APNA - Australian Practice Nurses Association
APP - Approved Pathology Practitioner
APS - Australian Public Service
APSC - Australian Public Service Commission
APSF - The Australian Patient Safety Foundation
APY - Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
AQF - Australian Quality Framework
Top of pageAQIS - Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
AQM - Air Quality Monitor
ARACY - Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
ARAFMI - Association of Relatives and Friends of the Mentally Ill
ARAS - Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc (SA)
ARC - Architecture Committee
ARC - Australian Research Council
ARCBS - Australian Red Cross Blood Service
ARCHI - Australian Resource Centre for Healthcare Innovations
ARCSHS - Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society
AR-DRG - Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups
ARD - Australian Rural Divisions
ARDS - Australian Radiation Dosimetry Service
ARF - Additional Recurrent Funding
ARGCM - Australian Regulatory Guidelines for Complementary Medicines
ARHEN - Australian Rural Health Education Network
ARIA - Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia
ARM - Athletes as Role Models tour
Top of pageARMIS - Approval Rounds Management Information System
AROC - Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre
ARPANSA- Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency
ARRAC - Alligator Rivers Region Advisory Committee
ARRWAG - Australian Rural and Remote Workforce Agencies Group (now RHWA)
ART - Assisted Reproductive Technology
ARTG - Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods
AS - Assistant Secretary (also known as Branch Head)
AS/NZS - Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard
ASA - Australian Sonographers Association
ASCEPT - Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists
ASCII - Australian Standard Coding for Information Interchange
ASD - Annual Survey of Divisions
Top of pageArthritis - A group of disorders in which there is inflammation of the joints, which can become stiff, painful, swollen or deformed. The two main types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
ASCO - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations
ASGC - Australian Standard Geographical Classification
ASGC - RA - Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Area
ASH - Action on Smoking and Health
ASH - Alice Springs Hospital
ASHM - Australasian Society for HIV Medicine
ASHNA - Australian Sexual Health Nurses Association
ASIC - Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
ASM - Assistant State Manager
ASMOF - Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation
ASMPWG - Alcohol and Substance Misuse Priority Working Group
ASNUG - Australian State National Users Group
ASO - Administrative Service Officer 1-6 (now APS 1-6)
ASP - Application Service Provider
ASPREN - Australia Sentinel Practice and Research Network
ASPS - Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
ASRDO - Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Development Officer
ASRP - Advanced Rural Skills Posts
ASSERT - Australian Society for Sex Educators, Researchers and Therapists
ASSID - Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability SA
Top of pageAsthma - An inflammatory disease of the air passages that makes them prone to narrow too easily and too much, causing episodes of shortness of breath and wheezing or coughing. The narrowing is due to many triggers which include the house dust mite, exercise, pollens, cold weather, throat and chest infections, tobacco smoke and other factors
ASUM - Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine
ASYASS - Alice Springs Youth Assistance Support Service
ATAGI - Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
ATC - Anatomical therapeutical chemical
ATDM - Automated telephone disease management
ATO - Australian Tax Office
ATODS - Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Services
ATOT - Australian Thesaurus of Ophthalmic Terminology
ATSI - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
ATSIC - former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
ATSICCHO - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisation
ATSICCHS - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services
ATSICDC - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation
ATSICHET - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health Education Training
ATSIHRTON - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Registered Training Organisation Network
ATSIHWIU - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Welfare Information Unit
ATSIHWSF - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce National Strategic Framework
ATSILIP - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Initiatives Program
Top of pageATSIWG - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group
ATSIHWWG - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Working Group
AUD - Australian Urban Divisions [of General Practice]
AusAID - Australian Agency for International Aid
AusDiab - Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study
Auseinet- Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health
AusInfo - Commonwealth Government's Information Service
AUSLIG - Australian Land Information Group - Geoscience Australia
Aust - Australia
AUSFTA - Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement
Authenticating electronic access - Proof that system users are in fact who they identify themselves to be.
Available beds - Beds immediately available for use by admitted patients
Average length of stay (ALOS) - The average of the length of stay for admitted patient episodes
AWA - Australian Workplace Agreement
AWE - Average weekly earnings
AWP - Accelerated Work Program
AYE - Average yearly earnings
Top of pageBAs - Business AnalystsBAA - Business Alignment and Architecture
Balanda - Non-Aboriginals (Yolngu)
BAOP - Business Analysis Orientation Pack
BARC - Building Ageing Research Capacity
BARO - Better Access to Radiation Oncology (Budget Measure)
BAS - Behaviour Advisory Service (Aged Care)
BASIC - Building A Streamlined Information Capability
BBV - Bloode Borne Viruses
BCA - Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia
BCC - basal cell carcinoma
BCGP - British College of General Practitioners
BDDGP - Ballarat and District Division of General Practice
Top of pageBDGP - Barwon Division of General Practice
BDW - Business Data Warehouse
BEACH - Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health
BEFR - Budget Estimates and Framework Review
BEI - Benefits Evaluation Indicators
Benchmark - A standard or point of reference for measuring quality or performance. See also benchmarking
Benchmarking - A continuous process of measuring quality or performance against the highest standards. See also benchmark
Benefits realisation - A program or activity that shows how to convert benefits into practice.
BFV - Barmah Forest virus
BG - Business Group
BHC - Business Management Committee
BHGPC - Balmain Hospital General Practice Casualty
BI - Business Intelligence
BIITE - Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
BINSA - Brain Injury Network of South Australia
BIP - Business Implementation Plan
Blame - To hold at fault (implies culpability)
BMA - British Medical Association
Top of pageBipolar affective disorder - A mental disorder where the person may be depressed at one time and manic at another. Formerly known as manic depression
Blood cholesterol - Fatty substance produced by the liver and carried by the blood to supply the rest of the body. Its natural function is to supply material for cell walls and for steroid hormones, but if levels in the blood become too high this can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease
Blood Group - Complex chemical substances found on or in the surface of red cells that distinguish each blood group
BMI - Body mass index
BMJ - British Medical Journal
BMMS - Better Medication Management System
BMP - Bonded Medical Place
BMUs - Business Management Units
BN - Briefing notes
BOD - Burden of Disease
BOiMHC - Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care
BOMH - Better Outcomes in Mental Health
BOMHCI - Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative
BoQ - General Practice: Building on Quality project (www.bldoq.com)
BPA - Business Practice Agreement (Medicare Australia)
BPA (C) - Business Partnership Agreement (Centrelink)
BPP - Better Practice Program
BPPMC - Better Practice Program Monitoring Committee
BRACS - Broadcasting for Remote Aboriginal Communities Scheme
BRC - Basic Resident Contribution (also known as Basic Daily Care Fee, Resident's Contribution)
BRCA - breast cancer associated gene
Top of pageBody mass index (BMI) - The most commonly used method of assessing whether a person is normal weight, underweight, overweight or obese. Calculated by dividing the persons weight (in kilograms) by their height (in metres) squared. Also known as Quetelet’s Index. For both men and women, underweight is a BMI below 18.5, acceptable weight is from 18.5 to less than 25, overweight is 25 and above but less than 30, and obese is 30 and over
BRS - Bureau of Rural Sciences
BSE - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
BSE - breast self-examination
BSQWG - Blood Safety and Quality Working Group
BSS - Biosecurity Surveillance System
BTCP - Better Treatment for Cancer Patients (Budget Measure)
BTH - Bringing Them Home
BUSKAs - Business Unit Statements of Knowledge and Abilities
Top of pageC&FI - Cultural and Flexible InitiativesCA - Cancer Australia
CA - Carer Allowance
CA - Carers Australia
CA - Certified Agreement
CAA - Carers Association of Australia
CAAC - Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
CAAMA - Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association
CAAPU - Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programs Unit
CAAS - Continence Aids Assistance Scheme
Cab Memo - Cabinet Memorandum
Cab Sub - Cabinet Submission
Top of pageCAC - Coding Advisory Committee
CAC Act - Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997
CACH - Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Homelessness
CACP - Community Aged Care Packages
CACP/CAPS - System for the payment of the Community Aged Care Packages
CADE - Confused and Disturbed Elderly (units)
CADPHC - Central Australian Divisions of Primary Health Care
CADTH - Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, (formerly CCOHTA)
CAEPR - Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research - ANU
CAF - Commercial Activities Fund
CAG - Clinical Advisory Groups
CAIS - Compilation of Authoritative Information System
CAISHAG - Central Australian Indigenous Sexual Health Action Group
CAN - Cancer Advocacy Network
CALD - Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
CAMHS - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
CAMHSAC - West Australian Child and Adolescent Mental health Services Advisory Committee
Top of pageCANARIE - Canadian Advanced Network and Research for Industry and Education
Cancer - A range of diseases where some of the body’s cells begin to multiply out of control, can invade and damage the area around them, and can also spread to other parts of the body to cause further damage
CAP - Crisis Accommodation Program
CAP - Conditional Adjustment Payment
CAPAM - Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management
CAPIG - Central Australian PHCAP Implementation Group - DHCS,CAAC,OATSIH,AMSANT
Capital expenditure - Expenditure on large-scale fixed assets (for example, new buildings and equipment with a useful life extending over a number of years)
CAR - Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
CARDHS - Central Australian Remote Health Development Service
Cardiovascular disease - Any disease of the heart (cardio) or blood vessels (vascular). Includes heart attack, angina, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Also known as circulatory disease
CARG - Commonwealth AIDS Research Grants
Top of pageCARIHPC - Central Australian Regional Indigenous Health Planning Committee (defunct)
CARO - Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists
CARPA - Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association
CASA - Consumer’s Association of South Australia
Casemix - The range and types of patients (the mix of cases) treated by a hospital or other health service. This provides a way of describing and comparing hospitals and other services for planning and managing health care. Casemix classifications put patients into manageable numbers of groups with similar conditions that use similar healthcare resources, so that the activity and cost-efficiency of different hospitals can be compared
CASG&FAC - Central Australian Stolen Generations and Families Aboriginal Corporation
CASPE - Clinical Accountability, Service Planning and Evaluation
CATI - Computer Assisted Telephone Interview
CATI TRG - Computer Assisted Telephone Interview System Technical Group
CATSIN - Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses
Top of pageCause of death - From information reported on the medical certificate of cause of death, each death assigned an underlying cause of death according to rules and conventions of the 9th or 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. The underlying cause is defined as the disease which initiated the train of events leading directly to death. Deaths from injury or poisoning are classified according to the circumstances of the violence which produced the fatal injury, rather than to the nature of the injury
CAYLUS - Central Australian Youth Link-up Ser
CAYPIN - Central Australian Young People’s Information Network
CBA - Cost-benefit Analysis
CBD - Central Business District
CBE - clinical breast examination
CBI - Care-giver Burden Inventory
CBT/A - Competency Based Training/Assessment
CC - Care Coordination (ACAP)
CCA - Cost-consequence analysis
CCCA - Clinical Casemix Committee Australia
CCCG - Clinical Coding and Classification
Top of pageCCCN - Cochrane Collaboration Consumer Network
CCEB - Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
CCISC - Comprehensive Continuous Integrated System of Care
CCOHTA - Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (became CADTH in April 2006)
CCORE - Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation
CCP - Community Care Packages
CCR - Community Care Review
CCRC - Commonwealth Care Respite Centre
CCSA - Clinical Coders’ Society of Australia
CCSM - Chronic Care Self Management
CCTs - Coordinated Care Trials
CD - Collection District
CDAP - Centre for Drug and Alcohol Programs
Top of pageCDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC - Centers for Disease Control (now CDCP)
CDC - Commercial Development Corporation - joint ventures with Indigenous people and industry
CDCB - Communicable Diseases Control Branch (S.A.)
CDCP - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (formerly CDC)
CDEP - Community Development Employment Project – DEWR
CDI - Communicable Diseases Intelligence (journal)
CDI - Chronic Disease Initiative
CDIH - Centre for Development and Innovation in Health
CDM - Chronic Disease Management
CDNA - Communicable Diseases Network Australia
CDNANZ - Communicable Diseases Network of Australian and New Zealand
CDO - CentreLink Disability Officer
CDS - Commonwealth Disability Strategy
CDSCA - Northern Territory Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs (including NT Housing)
CDSM - Chronic Disease Self Management
CDSMC - Community and Disability Services Ministers' Conference
CE - Chief Executive
CEA - Cost-effectiveness Analysis
CEDA - Committee for Economic Development Australia
CEIs - Chief Executive Instructions
CEIDA - Centre for Education and Information on Drug Abuse
CEN - Coding Educators Network
Top of pageCensus - A census is a count of a whole population. The Census of Population and Housing measures the number of people in Australia and their key characteristics, at a given point in time. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts the Census every five years, the last was inAugust 2001
CEO - Chief Executive Officer
CER - Charge Exempt Resident
CES - Charge Exempt Supplement/Subsidy
CEWT - Carer Education and Workforce Training
CF - Complement fixation
CFA - Continence Foundation of Australia
CFO - Chief Financial Officer
CFROG - Commonwealth Food Regulation Officials Group
CGC - Commonwealth Grants Commission
CGHFBC - Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer
CGI-I - Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement
CGI-S - Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness
CGPIS - Centre for General Practice Integration Studies (UNSW)
CHA - Catholic Health Australia
CHAP - Comprehensive Health Assessment Program
CHASP - Community Health Accreditation and Standards Program
CHASP - Community Health Accreditation and Standards Program
CHC - COAG Health Council (formerly SCoH)
CHETRE - Centre for Health Equity, Training Research and Evaluation
CHF - Consumers’ Health Forum of Australia
Change management - The process of developing a planned approach to change in an organisation. The objective is to make the best of the shared efforts of all people involved in the change.
CHID - Community Health Information Development Project
Top of pageChief Executive Instructions (CEIs) - Instructions issued by the Chief Executive Officer. They outline the mandatory requirements within which all Departmental officials must work. The CEIs carry the force of the law and officials must comply with them
CHIM - Community Health Information Model
CHIME - Community Health Information Management Enterprise
CHINS - Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey
CHIP - Community Housing and Infrastructure Program - transferred to FACS on 1 July 2004
CHIP - Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership
CHIPS - Commonwealth Hostel Information and Payments System
CHIS - Community Health Information System
CHP - Community Health Program
CHPE - Centre for Health Program Evaluation
CHRIS - Cheque Reconciliation and Information Service
CHROMES - Chromosome Handicapped Research Organisation for Medicine Education and Support
Top of pageChronic - Persistent and long-lasting.
Chronic diseases - Term applied to a diverse group of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis (to name a few), that tend to be long-lasting and persistent in their symptoms or development. Although these features also apply to some communicable diseases (infections), the general term chronic diseases is usually confined to noncommunicable diseases
CHS - Community Health Service
CHSRF - Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
CHW - Community Health Worker
CI - Confidence Intervals
CIARR - Client Information Assessment and Referral Record
CIB - Current Issue Brief
CIHR - Canadian Institutes of Health Research
CIJIG - Commonwealth Interdepartmental JETACAR Implementation Group
CIMC - Cardiac Imaging Management Committee
CIPs- Community Initiatives Projects
CIPs - Continuous Improvement Projects
Circumstance - All the factors connected with or influencing an event, agent or person/s
CISP - Carer Information & Support Program
CITEC - Company taken over DOFA payment processing and reporting from 1/7/99
CJD - Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
C/L - Centrelink
Top of pageCLAP - Cleft Lip and Palate
CLC - Central Land Council
CLIPP - Consultation and liaison in primary care psychiatry
Clinical information system - A system that collects, stores, retrieves, and communicates health related data, information and knowledge
Clinical terminology - Consistent terms used to exchange or message medical information
CLSI - Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (formerly NCCLS)
CMA - Comprehensive medical assessment
CMA - Cost minimisation analysis
CMAU - Contract Management Advisory Unit
CME - Continuing Medical Education (known as CPD from January 2002)
CMEC - Complementary Medicines Evaluation Committee
CMF - Corporate Management Forum
CMH - Child & Maternal Health
CMI - Consumer medicine information
CML - Common Mini Ledger
CMO - Chief Medical Officer
Top of pageCMOA - Career Medical Officers Association
CN - Competitive Neutrality
CO - Central Office
COAG - Council of Australian Governments
COI - Candidate outcome indicator
COI - Communities of Interest
COI - Conflict of Interest
COMCAS - Community Health Client Administration System
Complaint - An expression of dissatisfaction with something
CONA - Community-oriented Needs Assessment Model
COO - Chief Operations Officer
COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPO - Commonwealth Own Purpose Outlays
COPs - Community Options Projects
COPMI - Children of Parents with a Mental Illness
COS - Chief of Staff (in Minister's Office)
COSA - Clinical Oncological Society of Australia
Top of pageCOTA - Council on the Ageing
CPA - Community Pharmacy Agreement
CPA - Commonwealth Public Account
CPD - Continuing Professional Development (formerly CME)
CPRs - Commonwealth Procurement Rules
CPHCE - Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity (UNSW)
CPHI - Canadian Population Health Initiative
CPI - Consumer Price Index
CPM - Collector of Public Monies
CPMC - Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges
CPMEC - Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Committee
CPP - Community Partners Program
CPSU - Community and Public Sector Union
CQI - Continuous Quality Improvement
Top of pageCRANA - Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia
CRCAH - Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (formerly CRCATH)
CRCATH - Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health (now CRCAH)
CREAM - Clinical, Research, Education, Administration, and Mixed
Credentialling - The process of assessing and conferring approval on a person’s suitability to provide a defined type of healthcare.
CRF - Consolidated Revenue Fund
CRG - Consumer Reference Group
CRGWG - Clinical Registry Governance Working Group
CRM - Client Relations Manager
CRNHC - Centre for Research into Nursing and Health Care
CRG - Consumer Reference Group
CROS - Canadian Radiation Oncology Services
CRS - Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service
CRU - Community Resource Unit Incorporated
CSA - Control Self Assessment - DoHA staff performance
CSAC - Coding Standards Advisory Committee
CSANZ - Cardiac Society of Australia & New Zealand
Top of pageCSDA - Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement
CSF - Cerebrospinal fluid
CSG - Cancer Strategies Group
CSHA - Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement
CSIRO - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
CSL - Commonwealth Serum Laboratories
CSMAC - Community Services Ministers' Advisory Council
CSMC - Community Services Ministerial Council
CSO - Community Service Obligation
CSOD - Community Service Obligation Distributor
CSOM - Chronic suppurative otitis media
CSQ-8 - Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (eight-item version)
CSR - Certificate Signing Request
CSSP - Clinical Support Systems Program of the RACP
CSSS - Community Sector Support Scheme
CSTDA - Commonwealth, State/Territory Disability Agreement
CSU - Charles Sturt University
CT - Computerised tomography
Top of pageCTEC - Collaborative Training and Education Centre (also known as the Centre for Medical and Surgical Skills) at the University of Western Australia
CTO - Community Treatment Order
CTP - Capital Transition Payment
CUA - Cost-utility analysis
CULC - Consumer Union Liaison Committee
CVD - Cardiovascular disease
CVS - Community Visitors Scheme
CWA - Cardiolipin wasserman reaction
CWAATSICH - Charleville and Western Areas Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health
CWCA - Comprehensive Work Capacity Assessment
CYH - Child and Youth Health
CYWHS - Children, Youth & Women’s Health Service
Top of pageDAA - Dieticians Association of AustraliaDAA - Department for Aboriginal Affairs NSW
DAAR - South Australia Department for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation
DACAS - Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service – for health professionals
DADHC - NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care
DAFF - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
DALE - Disability Adjusted Life Expectancy
DALYs - Disability-adjusted life years
DAM - Dam Assessment Methodology
DARE - Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness
DAS - former Department of Administrative Services
DASA - Drug and Alcohol Services Association (run residential rehabilitation in Alice Springs)
DASC - Drug and Alcohol Services Council
DATIS - Drug and therapeutic Information Service
Top of pageDBA - Database Administration
DBCDE - Dept. of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (December 2007-)
DBERD - Northern Territory Dept. of Business, Economic and Regional Development
DC&V - Data Collection & Verification
DCLS - Darwin Community Legal Service (NT)
DCM - Document Content Management
DCS - Domiciliary Care & Rehabilitation Services
DCSH - Department of Community Services and Health (former name of this Department)
DDAC - Divisions Development Advisory Committee
DDB - Department Data Base
DEAG - Divisions Evaluation Advisory Group
Decision support system - Process where a computer stores a set of best practice rules or knowledge and checks information entered into the system against that information.
DEET - Northern Territory Dept. of Employment, Education and Training
Top of pageDeinstitutionalisation - A term referring to a shift in service delivery away from institutional care, towards care in the home and community.
DEEWR - Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (December 2007-)
Dementia - A general and worsening loss of brain power such as memory, understanding and reasoning.
DEN - Drug Education Network
DEN - dengue fever
Departmental - Assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses directly controlled by agencies.
Departmental outputs - Four common 'departmental' outputs are reported for each of the ten output groups. Broadly, these outputs are the direct product of the policy, management and administrative functions of DoHA.
Depression - A mood disorder with prolonged feelings of being sad, hopeless, low and inadequate, with a loss of interest or pleasure in activities and often with suicidal thoughts or self-blame.
Dep Sec - Deputy Secretary
DEST - former Department of Education, Science and Training
DETYA - former Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (later name DEST)
DEWHA - Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (December 2007-)
DEWR - former Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
DFA - Direct fluorescence assay
Top of pageDFAT - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
DG&V - Data Gathering & Verification
DGP - Divisions of General Practice
DH - Department of Health (former name of this Department)
DHA - Department of Health and Ageing (use DoHA)
DHAC - Department of Health and Aged Care (former name of this Department)
DHCS - Dept. of Health and Community Services (Northern Territory Govt.)
DHCSS - Disability Health Care Support Service
DHFS - Department of Health and Family Services (former name of this Department)
DHHCS - Department of Health, Housing and Community Services (former name of this Department)
Top of pageDHHLGCS - Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services (former name of this Department)
DHHS - Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmanian Govt.)
DHS - Department of Human Services (Australian and Victorian Governments)
DHSH - Department of Human Services and Health (former name of this Department)
DI - Diagnostic Imaging
DIA - Drug Information Association
Diagnosis - A decision based on the recognition of clinically relevant symptomatology, the consideration of causes that may exclude a diagnosis of another condition, and the application of clinical judgment.
DIBP - Department of Immigration and Border Protection
DIMA - former Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
DIMIA - former Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
DIR - Dealings involving Intentional Release of genetically modified organisms into the environment
Direct bill - The process by which a medical practitioner or optometrist sends the bill for services direct to Medicare, often referred to as bulk billing.
DIRKS - Designing and Implementing a RecordKeeping System
Disability - A concept of several dimensions relating to an impairment in body structure or function, a limitation in activities (such as mobility and communication), a restriction in participation (involvement in life situations such as work, social interaction and education), and the affected person’s physical and social environment.
Discrete Indigenous community - A geographical location with a physical or legal boundary that is inhabited or intended to be inhabited predominantly (more than 50%) by Indigenous people, with housing and infrastructure that is either owned or managed on a community basis.
Top of pageDisease - A physiological or psychological dysfunction
Disposable Income - Gross income less direct tax and Medicare levy.
DIT - Doctors-in-Training
DLO - Divisional Liaison Officer (Within the Department)
DLO - Departmental Liaison Officer (in Ministers' Offices)
DLP - Defect Liability Period - of building contracts, usually 6 or 12 months from practical completion
DLRS - Detailed Level Requirements Specification
DLU - Divisional Liaison Unit
DMC - Departmental Management Committee
Dmft - A count of the sum of deciduous (baby) teeth (t) that are decayed (d), missing due to caries (m), an filled due to caries (F
Top of pageDMO - District Medical Officer
DMMR - Domiciliary Medication Management Review
DMS - Document Management System
DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNCB - Domiciliary Nursing Care Benefit
DNIR - Dealings not involving Intentional Release of genetically modified organisms into the environment
DO - Day Only
DOC - Duties other than Consulting
DoFA - former Department of Finance and Administration
DOG - Departmental Offices Guide
DOGIT - Deeds of Grant in Trust
DoH - Department of Health
DoHA - Department of Health and Ageing
Donor - A person who gives blood, tissue or an organ to be used in another person.
DOPIE - former Department of Primary Industries and Energy
DOTRS - former Department of Transport and Regional Services
DPGP - Demonstration Practice Grants Program
DPH - Darwin Private Hospital
DPP - Director of Public Prosecutions
DR - Disaster Recovery
DRE - digital rectal examination
DRGs (diagnosis related groups) - A widely used type of casemix classification system. In the case of Australian acute hospitals, AN-DRGs (Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups) classify admissions into groups with similar clinical conditions (related diagnoses) and similar resource usage. This allows the activity and performance of hospitals to be compared on a common basis. See also casemix.
Top of pageDRM - Drawing Rights Manager
DRS - Doctors Reform Society
DRWG - Data Reform Working Group
DSA - Dementia Support for Assessment Program
DSC - Divisions Standing Committee
DSG - Divisions Steering Group
DSM-IV - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition
DSP - Disability Support Pension
DSS - Department of Social Services
DSS - Data Set Specification
DTC - Day Therapy Centres
DTP - Diptheria Tetanus Petussis
DURC - Descriptor Utilisation Review Committee
DUSC - Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee
DVA - Department of Veterans' Affairs
DVDC - Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre
DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis
DWG - Data Working Group (ACAP)
DWG - Design Working Group (Medicare Australia)
DWS - District of Workforce Shortage
Top of pageE&E - Enhancement and ExpansionEA - Executive Assistant
EACH - Extended Aged Care at Home
EACH Dementia - Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia
EACH D - Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia
EAGA - Expert Advisory Group on Antibiotics
EAGAR - Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
EAN - European Article Numbering (system)
EAP - Employee Assistance Program
Eating disorder - Clinically severe disturbances in eating behaviour, such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
EB - Extra billing
EBHC - Evidence-based health care
EBM - Evidence-based medicine
EC - Electronic Commerce
Top of pageECG - Electrocardiogram
ECLIPSE - Electronic Claim Lodgement and Information Processing Service Environment
ECS - Exceptional Claims Scheme
ED - Emergency Department
EDIS - Emergency Department Information Service
EDRMS - Electronic Document Record Management System
EDS - Electronic Data Systems
EDS - Electronic Decision Support
EDSSC - Electronic Decision Support Steering Committee
EEBAP - Executive Editorial Board of Australian Prescriber
EEO - Equal Employment Opportunities
Effectiveness - The extent to which actual outcomes are achieved, in terms of the planned outcomes, via relevant outputs or administered expenses. An intervention's effectiveness should be distinguished from its efficiency, which concerns the adequacy of its administration.
EFTPOS - Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale
EHC - Eye Health Coordinator
EHR - Electronic health record
EIA - Enzyme immunoassay
EIS - Ethical Issue Scale
EL - Executive Level
Electronic messaging - The use of computers to send, receive and process emails and other information.
EM - E-mail
EMA - Emergency Management Australia
Employed Person - A person aged 15 years or more who, during the reference week of the labour force survey, worked for one hour or more for pay, profit or commission.
Top of pageEMR - Electronic Medical Record
EMS - Environmental Management System
EMSN - extended Medicare safety net, introduced on 12 March 2004 to cover 80 per cent of out-of-pocket costs for Medicare-claimable services provided outside hospital once annual thresholds are reached.
EMT - Executive Management Team
EN - Enrolled Nurse
ENT - Ear Nose and Throat
EOI - Expression of Interest
EoM - End of Message
EORTC - European Organisation for Research and Treatment on Cancer
EPA - Environment Protection Authority
EPAC - Economic Planning Advisory Council
EPC - Enhanced Primary Care
Epidemic - An outbreak of a disease or its occurrence at a level that is clearly higher than previously existed.
Epidemiology - The study of the patterns and causes of health and disease in populations, and the application of this study to improve health.
Top of pageEPG - Electronic Patient Group
EPP - Exposure Prone Procedure
EPS - Electoral Profile System (department's)
EPU - Executive Policy Unit
EQ-5D - European Quality-5 Dimensions
ERC - Expenditure Review Committee
ERP - Estimated resident population
ERP - Enterprise Resources Planning
Error - Unintentionally being wrong in conduct or judgement. Errors may occur by doing the wrong thing (commission) or by failing to do the right thing (omission)
ESC - Economics Sub-Committee
ESD - Ecologically Sustainable Development
ERF - Emergency Relief Funding
ESA - Endorsed Supplier Agreement
ESG - Evaluation Steering Group
ESR - Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (New Zealand)
ESRD - End-stage renal disease
Top of pageESS - Employee Self Service
ESS - Extra Service Status
Estimated Resident Population - Australia’s population statistics are compiled by the ABS according to the place of usual residence of the population. Usual residence is defined as the place where a person has lived or intends to live for a period of 6 months or more.
ESTRO - European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
ETA - Electronic Transaction Act 1999
ETL - Extract, Transfer & Load
ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke
EU - European Union
Event - Something that happens to or with a person
EWA - Eat Well Australia
EXEC - Executive
External Cause - Environmental event, circumstance and/or condition as the cause of injury, poisoning and/or other adverse effect. Used in disease classification.
Top of pageFAA - Funds Allocation AuthorityFAAD - Frail Aged and Disabled Program
FACS - Family and Children’s Services, NT Health
FaCSIA - Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
FaCS - Department of Family and Community Services
FAD - Family Assessment Device
FAG - Federal Assistance Grants
FaHCSIA - former Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs)
FAIRA - Foundation of Aboriginal and Islander Research Action
FAP - familial adenomatous polyposis
FAS - First Assistant Secretary (also known as Division Head)
FASA - Funding and Service Agreement
FASSTT - Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma
FA&T or FAT - Function Activity & Transactions
FAYS - Family and Youth Services
FBT - Fringe Benefits Tax
FCEO - Finance Chief Executive Officer
FCTC - Framework Convention for Tobacco Control
FDR - Fund Debit Requester
FECCA - Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia
FINEST - Financial Efficiency and Strategic Planning System
Financial Management and Accountability Act - This is the principal legislation governing the proper use of public money, public property and other Commonwealth resources. It is one of three pieces of legislation, which replaced the Audit Act 1901. The other two pieces of legislation are the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act and the Auditor-General Act.
Top of pageFIRM - Financial Information Resource Management System
FMA - Financial Management and Accountability
FMA Act - Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997
FMA Orders - Financial Management and Accountability Orders
FMA Regulations - Financial Management and Accountability Regulations
FMO - Financial Minister’s Orders
FMP - Family Medicine Programme
FMRC - Family Medicine Research Centre
FMS - Financial Management System
FNA - For necessary action
FNQ - Far North Queensland
FOBT - faecal occult blood test
FOCIS - Federation of Canteens in Schools
Top of pageFOI - Freedom of Information
FPA - Family Planning Association
FPO - Family Planning Organisations
FPP - Family Planning Program
FRACGP - Fellowship of RACGP
FRAME - Federation of Australian Medical Educators
Freestanding Day Hospital Facility - A private hospital where only minor operations and other procedures not requiring overnight stay are performed, not forming part of any private hospital providing overnight care.
FRLI - Federal Register of Legislative Instruments
FRO - Faculty of Radiation Oncology
FRSC - Food Regulation Standing Committee
FSANZ -Food Standards Australia New Zealand
FTA - Free Trade Agreement
FTA-ABS - Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed
FTE - Full Time Equivalent
Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) - A standardised measure used in converting number of persons in part-time employment to number of persons in full-time employment.
Full-time/Part-time workers - Full-time workers are those who work 35 or more hours per week; part-time workers work between one and 35 hours per week.
FWE - Full-time workload equivalent
FYI - For your information
Top of pageGAA - Graduate Administrative AssistantGAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GAMSAT - Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test
GAPP - Graduate Assistance and Partnerships Program
GAPS - Graduate Australian Public Servant
GAPS - Grant and Allocation Processing System
GAS - Group A streptococcus
GBE - Government Business Enterprise
GBS - Global Business Services
GC - General Counsel
GCBS - Global Collaboration for Blood Safety
GCT - Glucose Challenge Test
GDP - Gross Domestic Product
GEHR - Good Electronic Health Record
Top of pageGeo-coding - Giving a geographic identifier or code to locations, such as an address, allowing data to be linked.
GES - Gay Education Strategies Project, AFAO
GHTF - Global Harmonisation Task Force
GIS - Geographic Information System
GISCA - Geographical Information System Cooperative of Adelaide
GLBT - Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender
GM - Genetically Modified
GMAC - Gene Manipulation Advisory Committee
GMC - General Medical Council
GMO - Genetically Modified Organisms
GMP - Good Manufacturing Practice
GMS - General Medical Services
Top of pageGovernance - Method or system of government or management.
GPMoU - General Practice Memorandum of Understanding
gp - Glycoprotein
GP - General Practitioner or General Practice
GPA - General Practice Australia
GPA - General Practice Accreditation Plus
GPAC - General Practice Advisory Committee
GPARIA - GP Accessibility and Remoteness Index of Australia
GPASC - General Practice Accreditation Steering Group
GPCC - General Practice Consultative Committee
GPCG - General Practice Computing Group
Top of pageGPCG - General Practice Consultative Group
GPDV - General Practice Divisions - Victoria Ltd.
GPEA - General Practice Education Australia
GPEP - General Practice Evaluation Program
GPET - General Practice Education and Training
GPETC - General Practice Education and Training Council
GPFG - General Practice Financing Group
GPIHSP - General Practice Indigenous Health Improvement Support Program
GPII - General Practice Immunisation Incentive
GPLO - General Practice Liaison Officer
GPPHCNT - General Practice and Primary Health Care Northern Territory
GPOG - General Practice Ordering Guidelines (QUPC Subcommittee)
GPPAC - General Practice Partnership Advisory Council
Top of pageGP PACE - General Practitioners as Health Planners, Advocates & Community Educators
GPQ - General Practice Queensland
GPR - General Practice Registrar
GPRA - General Practice Registrars Australia Ltd.
GPRED - General Practice Research, Evaluation and Development
GPRG - General Practice Reference Group
GPRIP - General Practice Rural Incentives Program
GPRLO - GP Registrar Liaison Officer
GPRN - General Practice Research Network
GPRRP - General Practice Rural and Remote Program
GPRTF - General Practice Remuneration Task Force
GPS - General Practice Strategy
GPS - Global Positioning System
GPSA - General Practice Society of Australia
Top of pageGPSCU - General Practice Statistics and Classification Unit (University of Sydney)
GPSLO - GP Supervisor Liaison Officer
GPSR - General Practice Strategy Review
GPSRG - General Practice Strategy Review Group
GPTR - General Practice Training Review
GPWG - General Practice Working Group
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - A statistic commonly used to indicate national wealth. It is the total market value of goods and services produced within a given period after deducting the cost of goods and services used up in the process of production but
before deducting allowances for the consumption of fixed capital.GSLP - Government Sector Linkages Program
GST - Goods and Services Tax
GTCCC - Gene Technology Community Consultative Committee
GTN - Global Training Network
GTS - Global Technology Services
GUI - Graphic User Interface
GVAMHS - Goulburn Valley Area Mental Health Service
Top of pageHAC - Health Advisory CommitteeHAC - Health and Aged Care (Department of )
HACC - Home and Community Care
HACSU - Health and Community Services Union
HAHU - Heads of Aboriginal Health Units
HAI - Healthcare Associated Infections
HALE - Healthy Life Expectancy
Handicap - A disadvantage resulting from impairment or disability that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal.
HAPS - Health and Ageing Postgraduate Studies
HAPS - Hunter Area Pathology Service
Harm - Harm includes disease, injury, suffering, disability and death
HARP - Hospital Admission Risk Program in Victoria
HAV - Hepatitis A virus
Hazard - A circumstance or agent that can lead to harm, damage or loss
Hb - Haemoglobin
HbA1c - Haemoglobin A1c (glycosylated haemoglobin)
HBGs - Health Benefits Groups
HBsAG - Hepatitis B surface antigen
HBV - Hepatitis B virus
HCC - Hepatocellular carcinoma
HCC - Health Call Centre/Contact Centre
HCCS - High Cost Claims Scheme
HCN - Health Communication Network
HCRRA - Health Consumers of Rural and Remote Australia
HCR - Healthy Communities Report
HCS - Home Care Services
Top of pageHCV - Hepatitis C virus
HDA - Higher Duties Allowance
HDSC - Health Data Standards Committee
HDV - Hepatitis D virus
HEADWEST - Head Injured Society of Western Australia Inc.
Health - Department of Health
Health - Australian Government Department of Health
Health - A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
Health Care - Services provided to individuals or communities to promote, maintain, monitor, or restore health. Health care is not limited to medical care and includes self-care.
Health Care Card - These cards provide for medical and/or related services free of charge or at reduced rates to recipients of Commonwealth government pensions or benefits.
Health care outcome - The health status of an individual, a group of people or a population which is wholly or partially attributable to an action, agent or circumstance
Top of pageHealthcare provider - Health professional or health organisation involved in supplying health services.
HealthConnect - This is a network of electronic health records that aims to improve the flow of information across the Australian health sector.
Health informatics - The application of information technology to healthcare.
Health Promotion - Activities to improve health and prevent disease.
Health Status - An individual’s or population’s overall level of health, taking account of various aspects such as life expectancy, amount of disability, levels of disease risk factors and so forth.
HEALY - Health Adjusted Life Year
Heart attack - Life threatening emergency that occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked completely by a blood clot. The medical term commonly used for a heart attack is myocardial infarction.
HECS - Higher Education Contribution Scheme
HELP - Higher Education Loan Programme
Hepatitis - Inflammation of the liver, which can be due to certain viral infections, alcohol excess or a range of other causes.
Hepatitis B - Viral disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis B virus.
Hepatitis C - Viral disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus. Now the most commonly reported notifiable disease in Australia.
Top of pageHeSA - Health e-Signature Authority Pty Ltd
HESTA - Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia
HEV - Hepatitis E virus
HFH - Housing for Health
HFL - Healthy for Life
HFS - Department of Health and Family Services (former name this Department)
HHF - Health and Hospitals fund
HHLGCS - Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services (former name this Department
HHSC - Hospitals and Health Services Commission
Hib - Haemophilus Influenzae type B
HIC - Health Insurance Commission (now Medicare Australia)
HICOA - Health Injury Council of Australia
HIDC - Health Industry Development Centre
High level residential aged care - Residential aged care services delivered to residents with high levels of dependency. These are approximately equivalent to the services delivered by nursing homes in the past.
Highly specialised drugs - Under Section 100 of the National Health Act, certain drugs (for example, Cyclosporin) can only be supplied to community patients through hospitals because the hospitals can provide the facilities or staff necessary for the appropriate use of the drugs. These drugs are funded by the Commonwealth separately from the PBS.
HIM - Health Information Management/Manager
HIMAA - Health Information Management Association of Australia
Top of pageHIPP - Health Infrastructure Priority Projects Plan under CHIP in ATSIC
HIRC - Health Inequalities Research Collaboration
HIRMAA - Health Insurance Restricted Membership Association of Australia
HISA - Health Informatics Society of Australia
HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV/AIDS - Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
HL7 - Health Level 7 (messaging standard)
HLAA - High Level Architectural Assessment (carried out by BAA)
HLN - Health Leaders Network
HLRS - High Level Requirements Specification
HMAC - Housing Ministers Advisory Council
HMA - Healthcare Management Advisors
HMCU - Health Ministers Coordination Unit
HMO - Health maintenance organisation
HMR - Home Medicines Review
HNPCC - hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
HOD - Head of Discipline
Hodgkin’s disease (Hodgkin’s lymphoma) - A cancer marked by progressive painless enlargement of lymph nodes throughout the body. A form of lymphoma.
Hospitalisation - The term used to refer to the episode of care, which can be a total hospital stay (from admission to discharge, transfer or death), or a portion of a hospital stay beginning and ending in a change of type of care (for example, from acute to rehabilitation).
HOOP - Health Outcome-Oriented Problem
HOOPS - Health Outcome-Oriented Problem Segmentation
Top of pageHOP - Home Ownership Program - now run by Indigenous Business Australia
HORSCATSIA - House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
Hostel - Establishment for people who cannot live independently but who do not need nursing care in a hospital or nursing home. Hostels provide board, lodging or accommodation and cater mostly for the aged, distressed or disabled. Residents are generally responsible for their own provisions but may be given domestic assistance such as help with meals, laundry and personal care.
HPA - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
HPC - Hospitals Principal Committee
HPCA - Health Professionals Council of Australia
HPGs - Health Program Grants
HPI - Healthcare Provider Identifier
HPPA - Hospital Purchaser-Provider Agreement
HPC - Hospital Purchaser-Provider Agreement
HPR - Hospital Performance Report
HPU - Hospital Planning Unit
HPV - Human papilloma virus
HREOC - Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
HR - Human Resources
HR&CA - Health Rights & Community Action
HREC - Human Research Ethics Committees
HRGs - Health Resource Groups
HRMC - Human Resource Management Committee
HRQL - Health-related quality of life
HRT - hormone replacement therapy
Top of pageHS - Health Service
HSA - Health Sciences Authority
HSA - Health Services Australia (now Medibank Health Solutions)
HSAK - Healthy School Age Kids Program - NT Health
HSD - Health Services Division
HSDB - Health Service Delivery Building
HSDO - Health Services Development Officer - non-ongoing position to implement PHCAP
HSDWP - Highly Specialised Drugs Working Party
HSMAs - Health and Safety Management Arrangements
HSRG - Health Service Research Group
HSUA - Health Services Union of Australia
HSWCS - Health & Social Welfare Councils
HTA - Health Technology Assessment
HTIC - Health Targets and Implementation Committee
HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
HUS - Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
HWIM&ICTCBWG - Health Workforce IM&ICT Capacity Building Working Group
Top of pageIAEA - International Atomic Energy AgencyIASHC - Indigenous Australians Sexual Health Committee
IARC - International Agency for Research on Cancer
Iatrogenic - Arising from or associated with healthcare rather than an underlying disease or injury
IATSIS - Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
IBA - Indigenous Business Australia - runs commercial activities to benefit Indigenous Australians
IBC - Institutional Biosafety Committee
IBDP - Indigenous Business Development Programme - run by IBA
IBM GSA - IBM Global Services Australia (Company providing IT to the Department)
IBNR - Incurred But Not Reported
ICAAP - International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific
ICC - Indigenous Coordination Centre
Top of pageICD - International Classification of Diseases
ICD-9-CM - International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification
ICD-10-AM - International classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Australian modification
ICDH - International Classification of Disability and Handicaps
ICF - International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
ICG - Infection Control Guidelines
ICHO - Indigenous Community Housing Organisations
ICP - Integrated Care Program
ICPC - International Classification of Primary Care
ICPC-2 - International Classification of Primary Care – 2nd ed.
ICPC-2PLUS - International Classification of Primary Care, 2nd ed. Plus
ICPMR - Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research
ICRP - International Commission on Radiological Protection
Top of pageICRS - Innovative Care Rehabilitation Service
ICRU - International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements
ICT - Information and Communication Technology
ICTSC - Information Communications Technology Standards Committee
ICU - Intensive Care Unit
ID - Industrial Democracy
IDC - Interdepartmental Committee
IDDM - Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
IDP - Individual Development Plan
IDU - Injecting drug user
IEC - Institutional Ethics Committee
Top of pageIEC - International Electrotechnical Commission
IFA - Indirect fluorescent antibody
IFHRO - International Federation of Health Records Organisations
IFPCRN - International Federation of Primary Care Research Networks
IFRS - International Financial Reporting Standards
Ig - Immunoglobulin
IGCARD - Intergovernmental Committee on AIDS Related Disease (now IGCAHRD)
IGCAHRD - Intergovernmental Committee on AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases
IGCD - Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs
IGFER - Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations
IHA - Indirect haemagglutination
IHANT - Indigenous Housing Authority Northern Territory
IHD - Indigenous Health Division
IHD - Ischaemic heart disease
IHES - Indigenous Housing & Essential Services Unit - NT
Top of pageIHI - Institute of Healthcare Improvement
IHIP - Indigenous Health Infrastructure Program
IHMS - Indenous Housing Management System
IHO - Indigenous Housing Organisation
IHPA - Independent Hospital Pricing Authority
IHR - International Health Regulations
IHR - Institute of Health Research
IHS - Indigenous Health Survey
IHSHY - Innovative Services for Homeless Youth
IIC - Infrastructure Issues Committee
ILAP - Integrated Local Area Planning
ILC - Industry Liaison Committee
Illicit drugs - Refers to a variety of substances that are either illegal to possess, or legally available, but used inappropriately. In the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, the term ‘illicit drugs’ included marijuana/cannabis, pain-killers/analgesics, tranquillisers/sleeping pills, steroids, barbiturates, inhalents, heroin, methadone, other opiates, amphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens, ecstasy/designer drugs, and injected drugs.
ILO - Indigenous Liaison Officer
ILRS - Intermediate Level Requirements Specification
IM - Information Management
IM/IT - Information Management/Information Technology
IM&ICT - Information management and information communications technology
IM&T - Information Management and Technology
IME - Improved Monitoring of Entitlements
Top of pageIMG - International Medical Graduate (formerly known as Overseas Trained Doctor)
Immunisation - Inducing immunity against infection by the use of antigen to stimulate the body to produce its own antibodies. See vaccination.
IMPACT - Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Australasian Clinical Trials Network
Impairment - Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function.
IMS - Information Management Services
IMSG - Information Management Strategy Group
IMVS - Institute of Medical & Veterinary Science (Adelaide)
IMWP - Information Management Working Party
Incidence - The number of new cases (of an illness or event etc.) occurring during a given period. Compare with prevalence.
Incident - An event or circumstance which could have resulted, or did result, in unintended or unnecessary harm to a person and/or a complaint, loss or damage
Indemnity - A legally binding promise whereby one party undertakes to accept the risk of loss or damage another may suffer.
Indicator (Health indicator) - A key statistic that indicates an aspect of population health status, health determinants, interventions, services or outcomes. Indicators are designed to help assess progress and performance, as a guide to decision making. They may have an indirect meaning as well as a direct one; for example, Australia’s overall death rate is a direct measure of mortality but is often used as a major indicator of population health.
Indigenous - A person who identifies himself or herself as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives. (The ‘Commonwealth Definition’ given in High Court Judgement 1983).
Infants - Children aged less than 1 year.
Inflammation - Local response to injury or infection, marked by local redness, heat, swelling and pain. Can also occur when there is no clear external cause and the body reacts against itself, as in the auto-immune disorders.
Information management - The process of defining, evaluating, protecting and distributing data within an organisation, and the technology used to send data to other organisations.
Informed consent - Permission granted by an individual to use their health information for a specific purpose, with an understanding of what they are agreeing to.
Top of pageING - Inter-Divisional Network Group
Injury - Damage to tissues caused by an agent or circumstance
Intellectual Property - Intellectual Property is a right which may, for example, enable the use of material which is subject to copyright, or patented invention, or computer software developed by Commonwealth employees in the course of their duty, consultants or contractors engaged to provide a specific service or product. Often such rights have considerable value. It is important, the Department ensures that the Commonwealth's rights are properly protected and that any financial benefit arising from these developments is optimised for the benefit of the Commonwealth.
International Classification of Diseases - The World Health Organization’s internationally accepted classification of death and disease. The 10th Revision (ICD-10) is currently in use. In this report, causes of death classified before 1979 under previous revisions have been reclassified to ICD-10 by the AIHW.
Interoperability - The ability of information technology systems to reliably exchange information.
Intervention (for health) - Any action taken by society or an individual which steps in (intervenes) to improve health, such as medical treatment and preventive campaigns.
Insulin - Hormone that is produced by the pancreas and regulates the body’s energy sources, most notably the sugar glucose.
IOGTR - Interim Office of Gene Technology Regulator
IOM - Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (U.S.)
IPAC - Independent Practitioners Association Council of New Zealand
IPCS - International Program for Chemical Safety
IPD - Invasive pneumococcal disease
IPPD - Influenza Pandemic Planning Committee
IPTAS - Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme
IQP - Incentives for Quality Prescribing
IR - Industrial Relations
IRSD - Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage
ISBF - Indigenous Small Business Fund
Top of pageISC - Inpatient Statistics Collection
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
ISDR - Indirect standardised death rate
ISERU - Integration Support and Evaluation Resource Unit
ISIS - Inpatients Separations Information System
ISIT - Indigenous Suicide Intervention Training
ISO - International Standards Organisation
ISP - Internet Service Provider
ISQua - International Society for Quality in Healthcare
IT - Information Technology
ITA - Invitation to Apply
ITC - Information Technology Committee
ITD - Integrated Technology Delivery
ITSR - Income Tested Subsidy Reduction (also known as Income Fee, Income Tested Amount)
IT&T - Information Technology and Telecommunications
IV - Intravenous
IVD - In Vitro Diagnostics
IVF - In-Vitro Fertilisation
IWG - Indigenous Working Group
Top of pageJAC - Joint Advisory CouncilJAC - Jurisdictional Advisory Committee
JAG - Joint Advisory Group
JAG - Joint Advisory Group on General Practice and Population Health
JAGPH - Joint Advisory Group on Population Health
JAS-ANZ - Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand
JCL - Job Control Language
JCPAA - Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
JCU - James Cook University
JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
JE - Japanese encephalitis
JETACAR - Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance
JEV - Japanese encephalitis virus
JFSS - John Flynn Scholarship Scheme
JHO - Junior hospital officer
JHPC - Joint Health Planning Committee
JOG - Joint Officers Group
JSC - Joint Steering Committee
JUCET - Joint University Centre for Education and Training (Melbourne’s GP education provider)
JVA - Joint Venture Agreement
JVB - Joint Venture Board
Top of pageKardiya - Non-Aboriginal person (Warlpiri)kDa - kilo Dalton
KM - Knowledge Management
KRA - Key Result Area
KUN - Kunjin
KU-UC - Knowledge Utilisation - Utilisation des Connaissance (Canada)
Top of pageLA - latex agglutinationLabour Force - The labour force includes people who are employed and people who are unemployed (not employed and actively looking for work).
LabVISE - Laboratory Virology and Serology Reporting Scheme
LAG - Local Area Group
LAN - Local Area Network
Land Rights Act - Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976
LBW - Low birthweight
LDL - Liability Discharge Limit
LEAP - Learning, Education and Professionalism
Length of stay - Duration of hospital stay, calculated by subtracting the date the patient is admitted from the day of separation. All leave days, including the day the patient went on leave, are excluded. A same-day patient is allocated a length of stay of 1 day.
LCC - Licensed Collection Centre
LF - Loan Fund
LFHC - Leave for Higher Care
LGA - Local Government Area
LHNs - Local Hospital Networks
Top of pageLiability - Responsibility for an action according to the law or in a legal sense
LIFE - Living is for Everyone
Life expectancy - An indication of how long a person can expect to live. Technically it is the number of years of life remaining to a person at a particular age if death rates do not change.
LMO - Local Medical Officer
LMOS - Local Medical Officer Scheme
LMT - Labour Market Testing
LOS - Length of Stay
Loss - Any negative consequence, including financial
LPOS - Legal Policy Officers
LPS - Lipopolysaccharide
LRWG - Legislation Reform Working Group
LSA - Local Security Advisor
LSB - Legal Services Branch of DoH
Top of pageMA - Medicare AustraliaMAC - Multicultural Aged Care
MACASHH - Ministerial Advisory Committee on AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatitis
MACS - Multifunctional Aboriginal Children’s Services
MAE - Master of Applied Epidemiology
MAHS - More Allied Health Services
MALSSA - Multicultural Practice and National Disability Service Standards
Mammogram - X-ray of the breast. May be used to assess a breast lump or as a screening test in women with no evidence of cancer.
Mania - A mental disorder where the person is overexcited, overactive and excessively and unrealistically happy and expansive. It is the opposite of depression and can alternate with it in the same person in what is known as bipolar affective disorder (formerly known as manic depression).
MASS - Medicare Automated Schedule System
MAT - microscopic agglutination test
MBCC - Medicare Benefits Consultative Committee
MBD - Medical Benefits Division
MBS - Medicare Benefits Schedule
MBS - Medicare Benefits Scheme
MBS-E - Medicare Benefits Schedule Extended
MCATSIA - Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
MCC - Multi-agency Community Centres
MCDS - Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy
MCHR - Mother & Child Health Research (La Trobe University)
Top of pageMCRP - Medicare Claims Review Panel
MCS - Mental Component Summary
MDC - Meningococcal Disease Committee
MDO - Medical Defence Organisation
MDP - Mail Drop Point
MDS - Medical Deputising Service
MDS - Minimum Data Set
MDU - Microbiological Diagnostic Unit
Measles - A highly contagious infection, usually of children, that causes flu-like symptoms, fever, a typical rash and sometimes serious secondary problems such as brain damage. Preventable by vaccine.
Medicare - A national, government-funded scheme that subsidises the cost of personal medical services, and that covers all Australians to help them afford medical care.
Medicare online claiming (formerly HIC online) - an optional online claiming service using the Internet, where a Medicare claim for either a bulk billed or a patient billed service is lodged at the doctor's practice, and the Medicare benefit is paid to the doctor (for bulk billing) or, for patient billing, is paid directly into the patient's bank account or paid via cheque in the doctor's name, sent to the patient by mail, to then be forwarded to the doctor by the patient, in person or by mail.
Medications - Pharmaceutical drugs available only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner and available only from pharmacies.
MEDIC-GP - Medical Enquiry Drug Information Centre-General Practice
Medsafe - New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority
Melanoma - A cancer of the body’s cells that contain pigment (melanin), mainly affecting the skin.
Meningitis - Inflammation of the brain’s covering (the meninges), as can occur with some viral or bacterial infections.
Mental Disorders - Disturbances of mood or thought that can affect behaviour and distress the person or those around them, so the person cannot function normally. Includes anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia.
MERLIN - Management of Expenditure and Resident Link Information Network.
Top of pageMES - Medicine Education and Support
MHCA - Mental Health Council of Australia
MH-CASC - Mental Health Classification and Service Cost Classification
MH-CCP - Mental health-Clinical Care and Prevention
MHPU - Male Health Policy Unit
MHRC - Mental Health Resource Centre (SA) Inc.
MHS - Mental Health Service
MIDCAB - Minimally Invasive Direct Cor4onary Artery Bypass
MIF - Microimmunofluorescence
MIIAA - Medical Indemnity Insurance Association of Australia
Ministerial - Reply to a letter to a Minister
Minlist - Ministerial listing of details of Federal Members and Senators
Top of pageMIPS - Million Instructions per Second
MIST - Management Information System Tool
MJA - Medical Journal of Australia
MLHFQ - Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire
MLO - Media Liaison Officer (in State Offices)
Mmol/L - Millimoles per litre
MMR - Maternal mortality ratio
MMR - Measles/mumps/rubella (vaccine)
MMR - Medication Management Review
MND - Means not disclosed
Top of pageMO - Medical Officer
MO - Minister's Office
Monitor - To check, supervise, observe critically, or record the progress of an activity, action or system on a regular basis in order to identify and/or track change.
Mooditj - WA sexual health and positive lifestyle program for Indigenous youth aged 11-14 Years
MOG - Medical Oncology Group of Australia
Morbidity - Refers to ill health in an individual and to levels of ill health in a population or group.
Mortality - Death.
Motor Neurone Disease - A disease of the nervous system with progressive wasting of muscles, weakness and paralysis.
MoU - Memorandum of Understanding
MOW - Meals on Wheels
MP - Member of Parliament
MPA - Multi-Program Funding Agreements
MPC - Multi Purpose Centre
MPPA - Medical Purchase Provider Agreement
MPRC - Medicare Participation Review Committee
MPS - Multipurpose Services
MPS - Medical and Pharmaceutical Services
MRA - Medical Record Administrator
MRA - Mutual Recognition Agreement
Top of pageMRBS - Medical Rural Bonded Scholarships
MRCP - MR Cholangeopancreatography
MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MRN - Medical Records Number
MRSA - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
MSA - Microsoft Systems Architecture
MSAC - Medical Services Advisory Committee
MSD - Melbourne Statistical Division
MSD - Management Support and Development
MSIA - Medical Software Industry Association
MSOAP - Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program
MSP - Multipurpose Services Program
MSRB - Medicare Schedule Review
MSRTF - Medicare Schedule Review Taskforce
MSTSC - Medical Specialist Training Steering Committee
MTAG - Ministerial Tobacco Advisory Group
MTRP - Medical Training Review Panel
Multiple Sclerosis - One of the most common nervous system disorders, with varied symptoms such as loss of control of limbs, sudden vision problems and disturbed sensations.
Mumps - A contagious viral disease marked by acute and painful swelling of the saliva producing glands, often similarly affecting the testicles and sometimes other parts.
Musculoskeletal - Relating to the muscles, joints and bones.
MVEV - Murray Valley encephalitis virus
Top of pageNAA - Nucleic Acid Amplification ProgramNAC - National Asthma Council
NAC - National Acoustic Laboratories
NACA - National Aged Care Alliance
NACAP - National Aged Care Advocacy Program
NACCHO - National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
NACSP - National Advisory Council on Suicide Prevention
NAGATSIH - National Advisory Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
NAGATSIHID - National Advisory Group - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Information and Data
NAGPA - National Association of General Practitioners of Australia
NAHCC - National Allied Health Casemix Committee
NAHOU - Needs Assessment and Health Outcomes Unit
NAHS - National Aboriginal Health Strategy
NAIDOC - National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee
NAIHO - National Aboriginal and Islander Health Organisations
NAL - National Acoustic Laboratories
NAMAC - National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee
NAMDS - National Association of Medical Deputising Services
NAMSCAG - National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions Advisory Group
NAPC NMDS - Non-Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set
Top of pageNAPD - National Action Plan for Dementia Care
NAPS - National Approved Provider System
NAPWA - National Association of People with HIV/AIDS
NARG - National Asthma Reference Group
NARSP - National Antimicrobial Resistance Program
NASC - National Alcohol Strategy Committee
NAT - Nucleic acid test
NATA - National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
National Health Priority Areas (NHPA) - The NHPA initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Commonwealth Government and State and Territory Governments that seeks to focus public attention and health policy on those areas that are considered to contribute significantly to the burden of illness in the community, and for which there is potential for health gain.
NATSEM - National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling
NATSI Working Party - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Party
NATSIHC - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council
NATSINSAP - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition Strategy Action Plan
NATSIRDSWG - National Indigenous Renal Scientific Working Group
NATSIS - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey
NATSISS - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (2002)
NAWMEs - National Average Weekly Male Earnings National Average Weekly Male Earning
NBA - National Blood Authority
NBCC - National Breast Cancer Centre
NCADA - National Campaign Against Drug Abuse
NCBI - National Center for Biotechnology Information (U.S.)
NCC - National Competition Council
Top of pageNCCH - National Centre for Classification in Health
NCCI - National Cancer Control Initiative
NCCLS - National Committee on Clinical Laboratory Standards (became CLSI in 2007)
NCCP - National Carer Counselling Program
NCDC - National Centre for Disease Control
NCDS - National Chronic Disease Strategy
NCDSSS - National Communicable Diseases Surveillance Strategy
NCEPH - National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
NCEPMC - National Consortium for Education in Primary Medical Care
NCETA - National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction
NCHECR - National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research
NCHSR - National Centre in HIV Social Research
NCHVR - National Centre in HIV Virology Research
Top of pageNCIRS - National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
NCMS - National Continence Management Strategy
NCNP - National Child Nutrition Program
NCOSS - Council of Social Service of New South Wales
NCPR - National Cardiac Procedures Register
NCRP - National Council on Radiological Protection (American)
NCRPDA - National Centre for Research into the Prevention of Drug Abuse
NCSG - National Cancer Strategies Group
NCSP - National Cervical Screening Program
NDARC - National Drug and Research Centre
NDHP - National Demonstration Hospitals Program
NDIP - National Diabetes Improvement Projects
NDOQRIN - National Diabetes Outcome Quality Review Iniative
Top of pageNDR - National Data Repository
NDS - National Drug Strategy
NDSF - National Drug Strategy Framework
NDSG - National Diabetes Strategies Group
NDSP - National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee
NDSS - National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System
NDSU - National Drug Strategy Unit
NEAC - National Evidence Assessment Centre Model
NEACA - National Expert Advisory Committee on Alcohol
NEACT - National Expert Advisory Committee on Tobacco
Near miss - An incident that did not cause harm
NEAT - National Emergency Access Target
NEC - Not elsewhere classified
Negligence (civil or criminal) - An incident causing harm, damage or loss as the result of doing something wrong or failing to provide a reasonable level of care in a circumstance in which one has a duty of care
NEHTA - National E-health Transition Authority
NENA - National Enrolled Nurses Association
Neonatal death - Death of an infant within 28 days of birth.
NEP - National Efficient Price
NEPM - National Environmental Protection Measures
NEPOD - National Evaluation of Pharmacotherapies of Opioid Dependence
NEPSS - National Enteric Pathogens Surveillance Scheme
NERT - National Electronic Records Taskforce
NESB - Non-English-speaking background
NEST - National Elective Surgery Target
Top of pageNETA - National E-Health Transition Authority
Neurosis / Neurotic disorders - A broad category of mental disorders with anxiety as their main feature and whose symptoms are mostly exaggerations of normal emotions or behaviour. Includes anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress reactions and other problems.
NFA - No Further Action
NFS - Non-fee for Service
NGCSOs - Non-Government Community Service Organisations
NGOs - Non-government organisations
NH4 - SPARC Client Assessment (RCS)
NH5 - SPARC Client Application for approval (ACAT)
NHA - National Health Act
NHCDC - National Hospital Cost Data Collection
NHDC - National Health Data Committee
NHDD - National Health Data Dictionary
NHF - National Heart Foundation
NHFB - National Health Funding Body
NHIA - National Health Information Agreement
NHIDP - National Health Information Development Plan
NHIG - National Health Information Group
NHIM - National Health Information Model
NHIMAC - National Health Information Management Advisory Committee
NHIMG - National Health Information Management Group
Top of pageNHIP - National Indigenous Health Information Plan
NHIPPC - National Health and Performance Principal Committee
NHISAC - National Health Information Standards Advisory Committee
NHISSC - National Health Standards and Statistics Committee
NHMBWG - National Health Ministers’ Benchmarking Working Group
NHMD - National Hospital Morbidity Database
NHMRC - National Health and Medical Research Council
NHPA - National Health Priority Areas
NHPA - National Health Performance Authority
NHPAC - National Health Priority Action Council
NHPC - National Health Performance Committee
NHPF - National Health Performance Framework
NHPF - National Health Performance Framework
NHR EDW - National Health Reform Enterprise Data Warehouse
NHRA - National Health Reform Agreement
NHR Act - National Health Reform Act 2011
NHS - National Health Scheme
NHS - National Health Service (UK Healthcare system)
NHS - National Health Survey
NHS - Nursing Home System
NHS EED - National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (U.K.)
NHSAC - National Health Standards Advisory Committee
NHSMC - Normanton Health Services Management Committee
NHTAP - National Health Technology Advisory Panel
NIASHS - National Indigenous Australians' Sexual Health Strategy
NIBAM - National Institute Based Ambulatory Modelling Project
NIC - National Indigenous Council - advisory body to Commonwealth Govt.
NICC - National Illicit Drugs Campaign
Top of pageNICNAS - National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme
NICS - National Institute of Clinical Studies
NIDC - National Illicit Drugs Campaign
NIDDM - Non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
NIDF - National Indigenous Documentary Fund - ABC
NIDP - National Integrated Diabetes Program
NIDS - National Illicit Drug Strategy
NIFP - National Innovations Funding Pool
NIH - National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
NIHIP - National Indigenous Health Infrastructure Plan
NIMAA - National Indigenous Medial Association of Australia
NIMHRC - National Indigenous Male health Reference Committee (also referred to as the National Indigenous Male Health & Well-Being Committee)
NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
NIP - National Immunisation Program
NIPAC - National Influenza Pandemic Action Committee
NIPH - Newcastle Institute of Public Health
NIPP - National Injury Prevention Program
NIPII Program - National Indigenous Pneumococcal & Influenza Immunisation Program
NIS - National Information Service (Now PHC RIS)
NISHS - National Indigenous Sexual Health Strategy
NISMC - National Indigenous Substance Misuse Council
NIWG - National Indigenous Working Group on Native Title
Top of pageNLC - Northern Land Council
NLV - Norwalk-like virus
NMDS - National Minimum Data Set
NMHP - National Mental Health Plan
NMHR - National Mental Health Report
NMHS - National Mental Health Strategy
NMSC - Non-melanocytic (or non-melanoma) skin cancer
NNAPEDCD - National Non-Admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database
NNC - National Negotiating Committee
NNDSS - National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System
NNL - National Negotiation Committee
Top of pageNNN - National Neisseria Network
NNTT - National Native Title Tribunal
NOCD - National Outpatient Care Database
Non-admitted patient - A patient who receives care from a recognised non-admitted patient service/clinic of a hospital.
Non-government Community Service Organisations (NGCSOs) - Organisations, operated on either a for-profit or not-for-profit basis, privately managed to provide community services for family with children, youth, adults, older people, people with disabilities, and people from different ethnic backgrounds.
Non-government Organisations (NGOs) - Private not-for-profit community managed organisations that receive state and territory government funding specifically for the purpose of providing community support services for people affected by a mental illness or psychiatric disability.
Non-repudiation - Sender cannot deny sending a record to the electronic health register or to another person.
Nonsocomial - Pertaining to or originating in a hospital (synonymous with ‘hospital-acquired’)
Nosocomial - Pertaining to or originating in a hospital (synonymous with “hospital-acquired”)
Non-VR - Non-Vocationally Registered
Nomad - Current human resources system
NOOSR - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition
NOTF - National Obesity Task Force
NPA - National Partnership Agreement
NPAAC - National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Committee
Top of pageNPCC - National Primary Care Collaboratives
NPCRDC - National Primary Care Research and Development Centre
NPDR - Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy
NPDS - National Provider Database System
NPHIWG - National Public Health Information Working Group
NPHNS - National Public Health Nutrition Strategy (Eatwell Australia)
NPHP - National Public Health Partnership
NPHP/PATFNPHP/PATF - Joint Working Group on Healthy Ageing
NPHPG - National Public Health Partnership Group
NPI - National Performance Indicators
NPI - National Provider Index
NPP - National Privacy Principles
NPP - New Policy Proposal
NPS - National Prescribing Service
NPT - Near Patient Testing
NPVP - National Pneumococcal Vaccination Program
NPY - Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara aYankunytjatjara - cross border region NT,WA, SA
NPYWC - Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yunkuntjara Women’s Council
NQPS - National Quality Performance System
NRA - National Registrars Association
Top of pageNRC - Neuroscience Research Centre
NRCCPH - National Resource Centre for Consumer Participation in Health
NRCP - National Respite for Carers Program
NRHA - National Rural Health Alliance
NRHN - National Rural Health Network
NRL - National Reference Laboratory
NRP - National Research Priorities
NSAA - National Strategy for an Ageing Australia
NSAIDS - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSC - National Surveillance Committee
NSF - National Strategic Framework
NSFP - National Safe Food Program
NSHS - National Sexual Health Strategy
NSIF - National Service Improvements Framework
NSP - Needle and Syringe Programs
NSPF - National Staff Participation Forum
NSPS - National Suicide Prevention Strategy
NSQAC - National Specialist Qualification Advisory Committee
NSSS - National Salmonella Surveillance Scheme
NSW - New South Wales
NSWTAG - New South Wales Therapeutic Advisory Group
NT - Northern Territory
Top of pageNTA - Native Title Act 1993
NTAEHC - Northern Territory Aboriginal Eye Health Committee
NTAHF - Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum
NTCOSS - Northern Territory Council of Social Services
NTFF - National Transaction File Format
NTGPE - Northern Territory General Practice Education Ltd.
NTIMHC - Northern Territory Indigenous Male Health Committee
NTOIP - National Telehealth Outcome Indicators Project (Canada)
NTRB - Native Title Representative Body under the Native Title Act 1993
NTRHWA - Northern Territory Remote Health Workforce Agency
NURHC - National Undergraduate Rural Health Conference
Nursing Homes - Establishments which provide long-term care involving regular basic nursing care to chronically ill, frail, disabled or convalescent people or senile inpatients.
NWHP - National Women’s Health Program
NYSPS - National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy
NZ - New Zealand
Top of pageOAA - Optometrists Assocation of AustraliaOACIS - Open Architecture Clinical Information System
OAIA - Overarching Agreement on Indigenous Affairs - NT/Commonwealth 2005-2010
OBCC - Optometrical Benefits Consultative Committee
Obesity - Marked degree of overweight, defined as body mass index 30 and over. See also overweight.
OBF - Outcomes Based Funding
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder - A form of anxiety disorder where repeated and unwanted thoughts and impulses disturb and dominate a person. Often involves rituals such as excessive-hand washing, checking and counting, which in turn cause anxiety if they are prevented or out of control.
Occasion of service - Occurs when a patient receives some form of service from a functional unit of the hospital, but is not admitted.
OCIO - Office of the Chief Information Officer
OCP - Office of Crime Prevention
OCS - Office of Chemical Safety
OEA (IP) - Office of Evaluation & Audit (Indigenous Programs)
OECD - Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Top of pageOGTR - Office of the Gene Technology Regulator
OH&S - Occupational Health and Safety
OHP - Office of Health Protection
OHS - Office of Hearing Services
OID - Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (report)
OIE - World Organization for Animal Health
OIPC - Office for Indigenous Policy Coordination
OLD - Office of Legislative Drafting
OLG - Office of Local Government, Northern Territory
OM - Otitis media
OME- Otitis media with effusion
ONHMRC - Office of the National Health and Medical Research Council
OMF - Oral & Maxillo-Facial
OMO - Outposted Ministerial Officer
OMP - Other Medical Practitioner
ONHMRC - Office of the National Health and Medical Research Council
OPA - Output Pricing Agreement
OPAL - Low-volatile ‘unsniffable’ unleaded petrol (91 octane, <5%aromatics)
OPCAB - Off-pump Coronary Artery bypass
Top of pageOpthalmology - A medical specialty dealing with eye diseases.
OPV - Oral polio vaccine
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - An organisation of 24 developed countries, including Australia.
ORIC - Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations
Original Medicare safety net - covers the difference between the Medicare benefit paid and the schedule fee for out-of-hospital services
OSHC - Overseas Student Health Cover
OSI - Open Software Initiative
OSS - Out of session
OSS - Open Source Software
Osteoporosis - A chronic and common form of arthritis, affecting mostly the spine, hips, knees and hands. It first appears from the age of about 30 and is more common and severe with increasing age.
OT - Occupational Therapy
OTC - Over-the-counter
OTD - Overseas Trained Doctor (now known as IMG - International Medical Graduate)
OTEN - Open Training and Education Network
OTM - Other Trust Moneys
OTO - OverseasTravel Officer
Top of pageOutcome - The status of an individual, a group of people or a population which is wholly or partially attributable to an action, agent or circumstance
Outcomes - Outcomes are the results, impacts or consequences of actions by the Australian Government on the Australian community. Outcomes are the results or impacts that the Government wishes to achieve. Actual outcomes are the results or impacts actually achieved.
Outcomes (Health) - A health-related change due to a preventive or clinical intervention or service. (The intervention may be single or multiple and the outcome may relate to a person, group or population or be partly or wholly due to the intervention.)
Outputs - The goods or services produced by individual Australian Government agencies on behalf of the Government of the day for external organisations or individuals.
Output groups - The aggregation based on homogeneity of product and/or resource usage of outputs.
Outreach services - where a medical specialist provides specialist medical health services in a location that is not the location of their regular practice
Overweight - Defined as a body mass index 25 and over but less than 30. See also obesity.
OVHC - Overseas Visitors Health Cover
OWN - Older Women’s Network
OzFoodNet - Foodborne Illness Surveillance
Top of pagePA - Principal AdvisorPAAC - People’s Alcohol Action Coalition
PAC - Production Assurance Certification (As a result of our contractual obligations with IBM GSA, this process was put in place to ensure that an application will not impact the infrastructure. It is basic quality control and risk management.)
PACFA - Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
PACHSNIM - Primary and Community Services National Information Model
PACT - Primary Care Alliance for Clinical Trials
PADWS - Preliminary Assessment of District of Workforce Shortage
PAF - Performance and Accountability Framework
PAGAN - RMI, ARMIS, GAPS, ACCMIS, NAPS
Palliative Care - Palliative care is the specialised care of people with a terminal illness and aims to achieve the best quality of life, both for the person who is dying and their family
PALS - Palliative Access Links
PANDA - Post and Antenatal Depression Association
Panic disorder - Marked by panic attacks (episodes of intense fear or discomfort) that occur suddenly and unpredictably.
Top of pagePap smear - Papanicolaou smear, a procedure to detect cancer and pre-cancerous conditions of the female genital tract.
PAO - Public Affairs Officer
PAPS - Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000
PARC - Primary Mental Health Care Australian Resource Centre
PARC - Prevention and Recovery Care
Top of pagePASIF - Program Administration Systems Interface to FINEST
PASTT - Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma
PATCH - Planned Approach to Community Health
Pathology - General term for the study of disease, but often used more specifically diagnostic services which examine specimens, such as samples of blood or tissue.
Pathogen - Disease-causing agent.
Patient-days - The number of full or partial days of stay for patients who were admitted for an episode of care and who underwent separation during the reporting period. A patient who is admitted and separated on the same day is allocated 1 patient-day.
PATS - Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (NT funded)
PBAC - Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee
pPBAC - Post Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee
PBD - Pharmaceutical Benefits Division
PBL - Problem based learning
PBMA - Program Budgeting and Marginal Analysis
PBPA - Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing Authority
PBRT - Pharmaceutical Benefits Remuneration Tribunal
PBS - Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
PBS - Portfolio Budget Statements
Top of pagePC - Personal Computer
PC - Primary Care
PC - Practical completion - where a building project is ready for handover to occupant.
PCA - Patient Concerns Assessment
PCC - Pathology Consultative Committee
PCD - Preventable Chronic Disease
PCO - Primary care organisation (NZ)
PCP - Primary Care Partnerships
PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
PCS - Physical Component Summary (SF-36)
PCT - Primary Care Trust (UK)
PDA - Private Doctor’s Association
PDC - Prostheses and Devices Committee
PDCSA - Physical Disability Council of South Australia
PDR - Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
PDS - Performance Development Scheme
PDSA - Plan Do Study Act
PDY - Professional Development Year
PEI - Patient episode initiation
Top of pagePELS - Postgraduate Education Loan Scheme
PEP - Post exposure prophylaxis
PEPA - Programs of Experience in the Palliative Approach
Performance - The proficiency of an agency or authority in acquiring resources economically and using those resources efficiently and effectively in achieving planned outcomes.
Performance indicators - A concise list of indicators, which are used to measure agency effectiveness in achieving the Government’s outcomes.
Performance information - Evidence about performance that is collected and used systemically. Evidence may relate to effectiveness or efficiency. It may be about outcomes, factors that affect outcomes, and what can be done to improve them.
Performance measures - A more precise measure than indicators. Performance measures are used to provide information on administered items and outputs in terms of quality, quantity and efficiency.
PFA - Plasma Fraction Agreement
PFAS Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances
PFS - Periodical Financial Statement
PGPPP - Prevocational General Practice Placement Program
PGU - Psychogeriatric Unit, or Psychogeriatric Care Unit
PH - Parliament House
PHN - Primary Health Network
PHAA - Public Health Association of Australia Inc.
PHARM - Pharmaceutical Health and Rational use of Medicines
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) - A national, government-funded scheme that subsidises the cost of a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs, and that covers all Australians to help them afford standard medications.
Top of pagePHAT - Private Hospital Access Taskforce
PHC - Primary health care
PHC - Prohibition of Human Cloning
PHCAG - Primary Health Care Advisory Group
PHCAP - Primary Health Care Access Program
PHCRED - Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development
PHC RIS - Primary Health Care Research and Information Service
PHCTF - Primary Health Care Task Force
PHSD - Population Health and Sport Division
PHEBAM - Population Health Evidence Base Advisory Mechanism
PHEC - Public Health Education and Research Program
PHERP - Public Health and Research Program
PHI - Personal Health Identifier
PHI - Primary Health Institute
PHIAC - Private Health Insurance Administration Council
PHIB - Private Health Insurance Branch
PHICC - Private Health Insurance Complaints Commissioner
PHIIS - Private Health Insurance Incentives Scheme
PHIO - Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
PHIQS - Private Health Industry Quality and Safety Committee
Phising - Attempts to fraudulently acquire sensitive information such as passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an apparently official electronic communication such as email.
PHLN - Public Health Laboratory Network
Top of pagePHN - Public Health Nurse
Phobia - A form of anxiety disorder in which there is persistent, unrealistic fear of an object or situation and which interferes with the person’s life as they seek to avoid the object of their fear. Different phobias include fear of heights, flying, open spaces, social gatherings, animals such as spiders and snakes, etc.
PHOFA - Public Health Outcome Funding Agreements
PHO - Primary Healthcare Organisation (NZ)
PHP - Primary Health Partnership
PHRDC - Public Health Research and Development Committee
PICAC - Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care Project
PICQ - Performance Indicators for Coding Quality
PICS - Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme
PID - Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
PIE - Positive Information and Education Project, AFAO
PINCLET - Batch program to generate letters
PIP - Practice Incentive Payment
PIP - Practice Incentive Program
PIRS - Patient Information and Recall System
PKI - Public Key Infrastructure
PL/SQL - Procedural Language/Structured Query Language (A Script for importing or exporting data or creating packages)
Plasma - Liquid portion of blood that contains proteins.
Plasma Fractionation - The process by which plasma is separated into some of its different component parts.
Top of pagePLO - Parliamentary Liaison Officer
PLU - Payment Liaison Unit
PLWHA - People Living with HIV/AIDS
PM&C - Prime Minister and Cabinet
PMA - Principal Medical Advisor
PMDGP - Port Macquarie Division of General Practice
PMF - Performance Measurement Framework
PMG - Program Management Guidelines
PMHCI - Primary Mental Health Care Initiative
PMI - Program Management Information
PMIS - Program Management Information System
PMO - Prime Minister's Office
Top of pagePMR - Perinatal Mortality Rate
PMS - Pensioner Medical Service
PMU - Program Management Update
PND - Postnatal Depression
PO - Project Officer
POC - Policy Outcomes Committee of DoH
POE - Post-occupancy Evaluation
POEMS - Patient Oriented-Evidence that Matters
POI - Proposed Outcome Indicator
Point to point messaging - Sending data directly from one computer to another.
POMS - Profile of Mood States
Top of pagePop ToP - Population Health Taskforce on Performance
Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements - Statements prepared by portfolios to explain the Additional Budget appropriations in terms of outcomes and outputs.
Portfolio Budget Statements - Statements prepared by portfolios to explain the Budget appropriations in terms of planned Government outcomes and outputs.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PSD) - A form of anxiety disorder in which a person has a delayed and prolonged reaction after being in an extremely threatening or catastrophic situation such as a war, natural disaster, terrorist attack, serious accident or witnessing violent deaths.
Potential years of life lost (PYLL) - Number of potential years of life lost in a population as a result of premature death.
PPHC - Private Patients’ Hospital Charter
PPV - positive predictive value
PQON - Parliamentary Question on Notice
PRs - Procedural Rules
PRCC - Parallel Rural Community Curriculum
Prescription drugs - Pharmaceutical drugs available only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner and available only from pharmacies.
Prevalence - The number or proportion (of cases, instances, etc.) present in a population at a given time. Compare with incidence.
Preventable - Accepted by the community as potentially avoidable in the particular set of circumstances
Prevention (of disease) - Action to reduce or eliminate the onset, causes, complications or recurrence of disease.
Top of pagePrice - The amount the Government or the community pays for the delivery of agreed outputs. The total of all prices aggregates to equal total expenses.
Primary Carer - Defined by the ABS as a person of any age who provides the most informal assistance, in terms of help or supervision with one or more disabilities. The assistance has to be ongoing, or likely to be ongoing, for at least 6 months and be provided for one or more of the core activities (communication, mobility or self-care).
Principal Diagnosis - The diagnosis describing the problem that was chiefly responsible for the patient’s episode of care in hospital.
PRISM III - Pediatric Risk of Mortality, version III
Privacy impact assessment - A formal process to identify and assess the impact of processes on personal privacy, including potential risks and compliance.
Private health insurance - Health insurance funds offer benefits to members for approved services provided in both public and private hospitals. They also operate ancillary tables which provide benefits for a wide range of non-hospital health and health-related services. There are a number of categories of health insurance membership which provide a wide range of benefits cover. These include ‘exclusionary tables’ under which funds are able to tailor the range of benefits provided to meet particular needs of different groups of contributors.
Private Hospital - A privately owned and operated institution, catering for patients who are treated by a doctor of their own choice. Patients are charged fees for accommodation and other services provided by the hospital and relevant medical and paramedical practitioners. Includes private freestanding day hospital facilities.
Private Patients - Persons admitted to a private hospital; or persons admitted to a public hospital who decide to choose the doctor(s) who will treat them and to have private ward accommodation. This means they will be charged for medical services, food and accommodation.
Procedural Rules (PRs) - PRs expand on the CEIs and provide more detailed operational requirements. Officials must have regard to the PRs to ensure full accountability and adequate controls are in place.
Program - Program is a specific strategy, initiative or grouping of activities directed towards the achievement of government policy or a common strategic objective.
Program Allowances - Program Allowances are payments made in the nature of a benefit, direct to an individual for the purposes of assisting the individual.
Top of pageProgram Funds - Program Funds are funds appropriated by Parliament to implement the Government's Health and Aged Care programs.
Program Grants - Program Grants are payments under specific legislation and/or an agreement by Health and Aged Care to an individual or organisation for the purposes of assisting in the achievement of the individual's or organisation objectives. Program Grants include General Purpose Grants, Specific Purpose Grants, and Grant-in-aid.
Program Guidelines - Program Guidelines set down the administrative arrangements and specify the control requirements for the management of specific programs.
Program Payments - Program Payments are payments made from program funds and consist of program allowances, program grants and program service payments.
Program Service Payments - Program Service Payments are payments made to a contractor or provider for the provision of health related services.
PROQOLID - Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Instruments Database
PRS - Professional Relativities Study
PRVTS - Pilot Remote Vocational Training Scheme
PSA - Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
PSA - Prostate Specific Antigen
Top of pagePSD - Post-traumatic stress disorder
PSM - Practice Support Model
PSM - Public Service Medal
PSMPC - Public Service and Merit Protection Commission (now Australian Public Service Commission)
PSP - Practice Support Program
PSR - Professional Services Review
PSRS - Professional Services Review Scheme
PSS - Premium Support Scheme
PST - Pathology Services Table
PST - Production Support Team
PSTC - Pathology Services Table Committee
PSTN - Public Switch Telephone Network
Top of pagePST - Production Support Team
Psychiatric hospitals - Establishments devoted primarily to the treatment and care of inpatients with psychiatric disorders.
Psychosis - A broad grouping for a more severe degree of mental disturbance, often involving fixed, false beliefs known as delusions.
PTF - Presidential Task Force
Public Health - Term variously referring to the level of health in the population, to actions that improve that level or to related study. Activities that aim to benefit a population tend to emphasis prevention, protection and health promotion as distinct from treatment tailored to individuals with symptoms. Examples include provision of a clean water supply and good sewerage, conduct of anti-smoking education campaigns and screening for diseases such as cancer of the breast and cervix.
Public Hospital - A hospital controlled by a state or territory health authority. In Australia public hospitals offer free diagnostic services, treatment, care and accommodation to all who need it.
Public Moneys - Public Moneys are moneys in the Commonwealth's possession or control, including money that is held in trust and money in a bank account. Categories of public moneys are:
- received Money
- money in the Consolidated Revenue Fund
- money in the Loan Fund
- money in the Reserve Money Fund
- money in the Commercial Activities Fund
- Drawn Money
- Special Public Money that is subject to a special instruction
PWP - Pneumococcal Working Party
PYLL - Potential years of lost life
Top of pageQA - Quality AssuranceQA&CDP - Quality Assurance and Continuing Professional Development (Program)
QA&CE - Quality Assurance and Continuing Education Program (RACGP)
QADA - QLD Aged & Disability Advocacy Inc. (QLD)
QAG - Quality Advisory Group
QAIHA - Queensland Aboriginal Islander Health Alliance
QAIHF - Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Forum
QAMON - Quality Assurance Monitor used by CAAC
QALY - Quality Adjusted Life Year
QARMS - Quality Assurance and Risk Management Systems
QATSIHWEPAC - Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Education Program, Aboriginal Corporation
QCOSS - Queensland Council of Social Services
QDGP - former Queensland Divisions of General Practice (now GPQ)
QI - Quality Improvement
QIAS - Quality Improvement and Accreditation System
QIC - Quality Improvement Council
Top of pageQIF - Quality Improvement Funding
QII - Quality Improvement Initiative
QIMR - Queensland Institute of Medical Research
QIP - Quality in Practice Pty Ltd
QIP - Quality Incentives Program
QLD - Queensland
QMG - Queensland Management Group
QoL - Quality of Life
QP - Quality Program
QR - Quality Reporting
QRMSA - Queensland Rural Medical Support Agency
Top of pageQSP - Qualified Service Provider
QTB - Question Time Brief
QuAC - Queensland AIDS Council
Quality - Relates to the characteristics by which clients or stakeholders judge an organisation, product or service. Assessment of quality involves use of information gathered from interested parties to identify difference between users' expectations and experiences.
Quantity - Size of an output. Count or volume measures. How many or how much.
QuIVA - Queensland Intravenous AIDS Association
QUM - Quality Use of Medicines (Program)
QUP - Quality Use of Pathology
QUPC - Quality Use of Pathology Committee
QUT - Queensland University of Technology
QWG - Quality Working Group
Top of pageRA - Remoteness AreaRAATSICC - Remote Area Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Care Program
RABQSA - Registrar Accreditation Board Quality Society of Australasia
RACF - Residential aged care facility
RACGP - Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
RACGPTP - RACGP Training Program
RACMA - Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators
RACOG - Royal Australian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
RACP - Royal Australasian College of Physicians
RACS - Residential Aged Care Service
RACS - Royal Australian College of Surgeons
R&D - Research and Development
RADAR - Register of Australian Drug and Alcohol Research
Radiology - The use or study of X-rays and other rays to help view internal parts of the body as a guide to diagnosis as well as to treatment and its progress.
RAESP - Remote Area Essential Services Program WA
RAF - Resource Allocation Formula
RAMIS - Research and Management Information Services
RAMUS - Rural Australian Medical Undergraduate Scholarship
RANZCO - Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
Top of pageRANZCOG - Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
RANZCP - Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
RANZCR - Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
RAP - Risk Assessment Procedures
RAPS - Rules Application Processing System
RARA - Rural and Remote Area Classification System
RARSWG - Remote Area Renal Services Working Group
RAWG - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Agenda Working Group
RAWP - Resource Allocation Working Party
RBA - Reserve Bank of Australia
RC - Regional Centre
RCADIC - Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
RCAHI - Research Centre for Adaptation in Health and Illness
RCBI - Research Capacity Building Initiative
RCF - Residential Care Facility
RCGP - Royal College of General Practitioners
RCNA - Royal College of Nursing of Australia
RCDI - Rural Chronic Disease Initiative
RCPA - Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
Top of pageRCR - Residential Care Rights (VIC)
RCS - Residential Classification Scale
RCS - Rural Clinical School
RCT - Randomised Controlled Trail
RCTI - Recipient Created Tax Invoice
RDA - Rural Doctors Association
RDA - Racial Discrimination Act
RDAA - Rural Doctors Association of Australia
RDCU - Rural Divisions Coordinating Units
RDF - Resource Distribution Formula
RDGAC - Research and Development Grants Advisory Committee
RDGP - Rural Divisions of General Practice
RDNS - Royal District Nursing Service
RDP - Researcher Development Program (for PHCRED)
Top of pageRDWA - Rural Doctors Workforce AGency
Real expenditure - Expenditure expressed in terms which have been adjusted for inflation. This enables comparisons to be made between expenditures in different years.
Reconnect - Commonwealth Dept. of Family and Community Services early intervention services for homeless young people 12-18.
Recurrent expenditure -Expenditure on goods and services which are used up during the year, for example, salaries. It may be contrasted with capital expenditure, such as expenditure on hospital buildings and large-scale diagnostic equipment, the useful life of which extends over a number of years.
RED - Research, Evaluation and Development
Remote - The term ‘Remote’ is used to indicate those Australians living in areas that lie within either the ‘Very Remote Australia’ or ‘Remote Australia’ categories of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness structure
RER - Residential Entry Record
Reviewed T/A - Reviewed Travelling Allowance
RFA - Request for Application
RFASS - Request for Application System Support
RFC - Request For Change
RFDS - Royal Flying Doctor Service
RFE - Reason for encounter
RFFIT - Reverse focus fluorescent inhibition test
RFP - Request for Proposal
RFQ - Request For Quotation
RFS - Request for Service
RFT - Request for Tender
Rh D - Rhesus D
RHD - Rheumatic heart disease
RHEF - Rural Health Education Foundation
Top of pageRHS - Regional Health Services
RHSC - Regional Health Service Centres
RHSET - Rural Health Support, Education and Training
RHTU - Rural Health Training Unit
RHWA - Rural Health Workforce Australia
RIAS - Roter Interaction Analysis System
RIG - Rabies immunoglobulin
RIHE - Research Involving Human Embryos
RIM - Retirement Income Modelling Taskforce
RIP - Rural Incentives Program
RIPIC - Rural Incentives Program Implementation Committee
Top of pageRIS - Regulation Impact Statement
Risk - The chance of something happening that will have a negative impact. It is measured in terms of consequences and likelihood
Risk Factor - Any factor which represents a greater risk of a health disorder or other unwanted condition or event. Some risk factors are regarded as causes of disease, others are not necessarily so.
Risk Management (in health care) - Designing and implementing a program of activities to identify and avoid or minimise risks to patients, employees, visitors and the institution; to minimise financial losses (including legal liability) that might arise consequentially; and to transfer risk to others through payment of premiums (insurance)
RLO - Registrar liaison officer
RLRP - Rural Locum Relief Program
RM - Received Money
RMC - Radiology Management Committee
RMDS - Report Management and Distribution System
RMF - Reserved Money Fund
RMFN - Rural Medical Family Network
RMIS - Research Management Information System
RMMR - Residential Medication Management Reviews
Top of pageRN - Registered Nurse
RNA - Riibonucleic acid
ROAR - Roadmap of Australian primary health care research
ROAR (Award) - Recognition of OATSIH Achievements and Results
ROCS - Run-Off Cover Scheme
ROCSP - Run-Off Cover Support Payments Scheme
ROGS - Reporting on Government Services
ROMP - Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist
ROMPs - Rural Other Medical Practitioners
Root Cause Analysis - A systematic process whereby the factors which contributed to an incident are identified.
RORIC - Radiation Oncology Reform Implementation Committee
RoSS - Review of Subsidies and Services in Australian Government Funded Community Aged Care Programs
Top of pageRPA - Regional Partnership Agreement
RPBS - Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
RPIs - Regulatory Performance Indicators
RPL - Recognition of Prior Learning
RPMG - Residential Program Management Group
RPPS - Repatriation Private Patient Scheme
RPR - Rapid plasma Reagin
RR - Rate ration- eg. The Indigenous rate divided by the non-indigenous rate
RRAPP - Rural and Remote Area Placement Program
RRGPP - Rural and Remote General Practice Program
RRL - WHO Western Pacific Regional Poliovirus Reference Laboratory
RRMA - Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas
RRMBS - Rural Remote Medical Benefit Scheme
RRMEO - Rural and Remote Medical Education Online
Top of pageRRV - Ross River virus
RRPWDP - Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program
RS - Requirements Specification
RSA - Regional Service Areas
RSL - Returned & Services League of Australia
RSSC - Risk and Security Steering Committee
RSV - Respiratory syncytial virus
RT Act - Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973
RTIs - Reproductive Tract Infections
RTO - Registered Training Organisation
RTOG - Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
RTP - Regional training provider
RTR - Request-Test-Report Cycle (QUPC Subcommittee)
Top of pageRTS - Rural Training stream
Rural - Rural localities and towns with a total population of under 1,000 people. ‘Rural’ also forms part of the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification (RRMA). RRMA has been used to classify the geographic location of medical practitioners. In the classification, ‘rural’ zone includes small rural centres (urban centre population between 10,000 and 24,999), large rural centres (urban centre population between 25,000 and 99,000), and other rural centres (urban centre population less than 10,000), with each having an index of remoteness less than 10.5.
RUSC - Rural Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme
RUSC - Rural Undergraduate Support and Coordination, formerly Rural Undergraduate Steering Committee
RVG - Relative Value Guide for Anaesthetics
RVS - Relative Value Study
RWA - Rural Workforce Agency
RWAAWP - Rural Workforce Agency Advisory Working Party
RWAV - Rural Workforce Agency, Victoria
RWSA/RWA - Rural Workforce Support Agencies
Top of pageSA316 - Centrelink form - 'helping you with your income tested fee'SA - South Australia
SA - Statistical area
SAA - Standards Association of Australia
SAAHP - South Australian Aboriginal Health Partnership
SAAP - Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
SACHRU - South Australian Community Health Research Unit
SACOSS - South Australian Council of Social Service Inc.
SACRRH - South Australian Centre for Rural and Remote Health
SADI - SA Divisions of General Practice Inc.
Safety - Freedom from hazard
SAH - Safe at Home
SAHC - South Australian Health Commission
SAMHS - South Australian Mental Health Service
SAN - Single Area Network
SAP - Department's Financial Management and Human Resource System
SAPP - Special Approved Placement Program
SAR - Service Activity Report
SARRAH - Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health
SARRMSA - South Australian Rural and Remote Medical Support Agency
SARS - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
SAS - Statistical Analysis Software
SBO - State Based Organisation
Top of pageSC - Sub Committee
SCA-B - Sudden Cardiac Arrest-Behaviour
SCA-K - Sudden Cardiac Arrest-Knowledge
SCA-SE - Sudden Cardiac Arrest-Self-Efficacy
SCATSIH - Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
SCC - Strengthening Cancer Care (Budget Measure)
SCHS - Sisters of Charity Health Service
SCOHM - Standing Committee of Health Ministers
SCoH - Standing Council on Health (Now COAG Health Council)
SCRCSSP - Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision
SCRIF - States/Commonwealth Research Issues Forum
SDAC - Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers
SDG - Service Development Group
Top of pageSDI - Standard Data Item
SDRF - Service Development Reporting Framework
SDS - Service Delivery Strategy
SEALS - South Eastern Area Laboratory Service (NSW)
SEB - Senior Executive Band
SECTSE - Special Expert Committee on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Secure health provider identification (ID) - A number that identifies a health care professional to show that they are who they say they are.
SEG - Strategic Evaluation Group
SEHR - Shared Electronic Health Record
SEIFA - Socioeconomic indexes of area
Semantic interoperability - Requires that information exchanged can be clearly and consistently understood between information technology systems.
SERU - Support Evaluation and Research Unit
Top of pageSES - Socioeconomic Scale
SES - Socioeconomic status
SES - Senior Executive Service
SESAHS - former South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service (now SESIAHS)
SESIAHS - South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service
SEWB - Social & Emotional Well Being
SEWB RC - Social & Emotional Well Being in Regional Centres
SF - Schedule fee
SF-8 - Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 8
SF-12 - Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 12
SF-36 - Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36
SFA - Standard Funding Agreement
Top of pageSFO - Senior Food Officers
SFR - Self Funded Retiree
SGE - Secure Gateway Environment
SHC - Sharing Health Care
SHCI - Sharing Health Care Initiative
Side Effect - An effect other than that intended, produced by an agent
SIP - Sickness Impact Profile
SHINE SA - Sexual Health Information Networking and Education, South Australia
SHPA - Society of Hospital Pharmacists Australia
SID - Services in Difficulty
Side effect - An effect, other than that intended, produced by an agent (see also “adverse reaction”)
Top of pageSIDS - Sudden infant death syndrome
Sign (clinical) - An indication of a disorder that is detected by a clinician or other observer who examines the person affected. Unlike with symptoms, a patient does not necessarily notice or complain of a sign and many signs are detected only with special techniques used by the person doing the examination.
SIGNAL - Strategic Inter-Governmental Nutrition Alliance
SIIP - Safety Innovations In Practice Program
SIMC - Statistical Information Management Committee
SIME - Strategic Information Management Environment
SIN - Sindbis
SIP - Service incentive payment
SIS - Seniors Information Service
SLA - Service Level Agreement
SLA - Statistical Local Area
SLK - Statistical Linkage Key
SLO - Supervisor liaison officer
SLTEC - Shiga-like toxigenic Escherichia coli
SMAG - Substance Misuse Action Group - Alice Springs, sub-committee of the Quality of Life Project
SMECQ - SPARC, MERLIN, EC, CACP, QARMS
SMR - Standardised mortality ratio
SMT - Self Managing Team
SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SMU - Single Machine Unit
SNAICC - Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Childcare Centres
Top of pageSNAP - Service Needs Assessment Profile
SNAP Framework - SNAP (smoking, nutrition, alcohol and physical activity) Framework - a framework for developing integrated approaches to behavioural risk factor management within general practice
SNG - Special Needs Group
SNOMED - Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine
SNOMED CT - Systematised Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terminology
Social Phobia - A persistent, irrational fear of being the focus of attention, or fear of behaving in a way that will be embarrassing or humiliating.
SO - State Office
SO - Strategic Outsource
SOP - Service outcome payment
SOR - Statement Of Requirements
Sorry Business - The time after the death of someone from a community
SOW - Statement of Work
SPA - Suicide Prevention Australia
Top of pageSPARC - System for the payment of Aged Residential Care
SPM - Special Public Money
SPP - Special Purpose Grants (to the States)
SPP - Specific Purpose Payment
SPRC - Social Policy Research Centre
SPSS - Statistical Package for Social Science
SPTP - Suicide Prevention Training Programs
SRDC - Strategic Research Development Committee
SRA - Shared Responsibility Agreement
SRG - Service-related Group
SRRP - Specialist Residential Rehabilitation Program
SRS - Complaints Resolution Service
Top of pageSSPF - State Staff Participation Forum of Rural Health
SSPM - Separated Special Public Money
Stakeholder - Those people and organisations who may affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by an decision or activity
Standard - Agreed attributes and processes designed to ensure that a product, service or method will perform consistently at a designated level
STATA - Combination of the worlds statistics and data (statistical software package)
STD - State or Territory Director
STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease
STEP - Structured Training and Employment Projects of DEWR
STG - State and/or Territory Government
STI - Sexually Transmitted Infection
STM - State or Territory Manager
STMF - State and Territory Management Forum
Top of pageSTO - State or Territory Office
Strategies - Groups of activities to produce outputs required to achieve planned outcomes. Strategies usually comprise several activities and outputs.
SU - Substance Use
Substance use disorders - Result from harmful use and/or dependence on illicit or licit drugs, including alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs.
Suffering - Experiencing anything subjectively unpleasant. This may include pain, malaise, nausea, vomiting, loss, depression, agitation, alarm, fear or grief
Suicide - Deliberately ending one’s own life.
SWLS - Satisfaction With Life Scale
SWPE - Standardized Whole Patient Equivalent
Symptom - Any indication of a disorder that is apparent to the person affected. Compare with sign (clinical).
System Failure - A fault, breakdown or dysfunction within an organisation’s operational methods, processes or infrastructure
System improvement - The result or outcome of the culture, processes and structures that are directed towards the prevention of system failure and the improvement in safety and quality
Top of pageT/A - Travel AllowanceTAC - Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation
TAFE - Technical and Further Education
TAG - Technical Advisory Group
TAIHS - Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service
TAOS - Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Substances
TAPA - Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act
TARS - The Aged-Care Rights Service (NSW)
TAS - Tasmania
TB - Tuberculosis
TC - Transition Care
TCA - Targeted Capital Assistance
TCCA - The Cancer Council of Australia
TCP - Transition Care Packages
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the basic software protocol for Internet communications
TEAP - Training, Education Accreditation Program
TEC - Tender Evaluation Committee
TECC - Technical Change Control Committee
TEGP - Top End Division of General Practice
Terminal Care - Treatment of patients in the final stages of incurable disease
TFR - Total fertility rate
Top of pageTGA - Therapeutic Goods Administration
TGACC - Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code Council
TGAGOR - Therapeutic Goods Administration Group of Regulators
TGAL - Therapeutic Goods Administration Laboratories
TGPD - Tasmanian General Practice Divisions Ltd.
THEM - Training Health & Educational Media
THS - Territory Health Services
TICH - Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
TIMRA - Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement
TIP - Technical Implementation Plan
TNQITAFE - Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE
TOD - Telehealth Outcomes Development (framework)
TOI - Tentative Outcome Indicator
ToR - Terms of Reference
Torres Strait Islander - A person of Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as a Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives.
TPHA - Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay
TPPA - Treponema pallidum particle agglutination
TQ - Test Query
TQI - Total Quality Improvement
TQM - Total Quality Management
TRD's - Temporary Resident Doctors
Top of pageTRG - Technical Reference Group
TROG - Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group
TROMPs - Temporary Residents Other Medical Practitioners
TSEs - Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
TSHF - Torres Strait Health Framework
TSIAB - Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board
TSO - Time Sharing Option
TSQ - Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire
TSRA - Torres Strait Regional Authority
TSUQ - Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire
TTMRA - Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement
TTRG - Transaction & Technology Reference Group
TTY - Teletype
TUNA - Trans urethral needle ablation
Top of pageUAI - Unprotected anal intercourseUDRH - University Departments of Rural Health
UFP - Universal Family Practice
UICC - International Union Against Cancer
UK - United Kingdom
UMAT - Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test
UMLS - Unified Medical Language System
UMP - United Medical Protection
UN - United Nations
UNAIDS - United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
Underlying cause of death - The disease or injury which initiated the morbid train of events leading directly to death. Accidental and violent deaths are classified to the external cause, that is, to the circumstance of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury rather than to the nature of the injury.
Underweight - Defined as a body mass index less than 18.5.
Unemployed Person - Person aged 15 years or more who was not employed during the reference week but who had actively looked for work or was currently available for work.
UNFPA - United Nations Fund for Population Activities
UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
USA - United States of America
UNSW - University of New South Wales
UPG - Upgrading Grants
UPS - Uninterruptible Power Supply
URTI - Upper respiratory Tract Infection
UV - Ultraviolet
Top of pageVA - Virtual AmalgamationVaccination - The process of administering a vaccine to a person to produce immunity against infection. See immunisation.
VACS - Victorian Ambulatory Classification System
VAM - Value Assessment Methodology
VB - Visual Basic
vCJD - variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease - Mad Cow Disease
VDRL - Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory
VET - Veteran, including the spouse, widow or widower of a veteran
VET - Vocational Education & Training
VHC - Veterans’ Home Care
VHF - Viral haemorrhagic fever
VHPF - Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (also known as VicHealth)
Top of pageVIC - Victoria
VIDRL - Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory
VII - Voluntary Indigenous Identifier
VIPS - Viability Interim Payment System
VMA - Victorian Metropolitan Alliance (Melbourne’s GP training provider)
VMO - Visiting Medical Officer
VMPF - Victorian Medical Postgraduate Foundation
VPN - Virtual Private Network
VQC - Victorian Quality Council
VR - Vocational Registration
VRE - Vancomycin resistant enterococcus
VRGP - vocationally recognised general practitioner
VS - Viability Supplement
VSA - Volatile Substance Abuse legislation
VSAP Act - Volatile Substance Abuse Prevention Legislation in NT
VSP - Volatile Substance Program
VTEC - Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli
VV&T - Verification, Validation & Testing
Top of pageW3C-WAI - World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility InitiativeWAAC - Western Australian AIDS Council
WAACCHO - Western Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
WA - Western Australia
WAC - Women's Advisory Council - NT and various states
WACHS - Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey
WACRRM - Western Australian Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine
WAN - Wide Area Network
WARDCU - Western Australian Rural Division Coordinating Unit Inc.
WC - Workers compensation
WCH - Women’s and Children’s Hospital
WCHM - Women’s Centre for Health Matters
WCMS - Web Content Management System
WCRF - World Cancer Research Fund
Top of pageWEL - Workplace English Language and Literacy
WHA - Women’s Hospitals Australia
WHCOs - Workplace Harassment Contact Officers
WHO - World Health Organization
WHO/WPR - World Health Organization Western Pacific Region
WHO/SEARO - World Health Organization South East Asia Regional Office
WHS - WYN Health Service - Willowra, Yeundumu, Nyirripi (Warlpiri zone)
WHS - Women's Health Statewide - SA Children, Youth and Women's Health Service
WIRP - Women in Rural Practice
WMA - World Medical Association
WOG - Whole of Government
WONCA - World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners / Family Physicians
WPHC - Well Persons Health Check
WSRGP - Workplace Support for Rural General Practitioners
WTO - World Trade Organization
WPRO - Western Pacific Regional Office
WWG - Workforce Working Group
WYN - Willowra, Yeundumu, Nyirripi
Top of pageYANQ - Youth Affairs Network of QueenslandYAPA - Aboriginal person (Warlpiri)
YARN - Youth Affairs Research Network
YF - Yellow Fever
YLD - Years of healthy life lost to disability
YLL - Years of life lost to premature mortality
Yolngu - Aboriginal person (Arnhem Land)
YOT - Youth Outreach Team/Youth Offending Team
YPWD - Younger People with a Disability
YTD - Year to Date
YWCHEP - Young Women’s Community Health Education Program of CAAC
ZHRG - Zone Health Reference Group