Private Hospitals Load File Format

Version 5.1

Published online: 
01 September 2008

Introduction

New Zealand private hospitals supply discharge data to the Ministry of Health for approximately 130,000 health events each year.

This document provides a generic file layout to be used for data sent to the Ministry of Health by private hospitals.

The layout allows for both coded and uncoded data to be submitted i.e the code can be provided for example for ethnicity and/or the description – but either the code or the description must be populated. This is because some private hospitals code data while others send descriptions which the Ministry of Health translates into valid codes.

Background

A number of Private Hospital data providers have expressed interest in the concept of supplying data to the Ministry of Health in electronic format.

MOH is particularly keen to provide this option because approximately 72.2 percent of all private hospital forms sent to the Ministry of Health are computer generated but sent in paper form.

Load file layout

The following file layout is modelled on the information that private hospitals supply to the Ministry of Health on the paper form ADF96. Data elements highlighted with an * or a # are explained in further detail below. Some fields are mandatory and these are indicated by the value “M" in column 2 of the table below. As a general rule, codes and descriptions may be supplied but if no coded value is used in the local system, a description must be supplied.

Load file layout
Field name   Length Type Comment
ID M 14 Char Local system unique identifier for this record.
Purchaser Code M 2 Char Code describing the organisation or person paying for this hospital event
Health Agency M 4 Char Agency Code (created for each hospital by the Ministry of Health)
Health Agency Facility M 4 Char Health Agency Facility (HAF) Code (created for each hospital by MOH)
NHI number   7 Char National Health Index number (generally assigned by the Ministry of Health, optionally assigned by hospital)
Family name M 25 Char Surname.
First name M 20 Char First given name.
Second name   20 Char Second given name.
Third name   20 Char Third given name.
Address line 1 * M 35 Char 1st address line.
Address line 2   30 Char 2nd address line.
Address line 3   30 Char 3rd address line.
Address line 4   30 Char 4th address line.
Address line 5   30 Char 5th address line.
Date of birth M 8 Char CCYYMMDD.
Domicile code   4 Char Generated via access to the NHI from the address.
NZ residence status   1 Char Y or N – is the patient a NZ resident?
Ethnic code 1 *   2 Char See Ethnic code table.
Ethnic description 1   20 Char Ethnic group description (first).
Ethnic code 2   2 Char See Ethnic code table.
Ethnic description 2   20 Char Ethnic group description (second).
Ethnic code 3   2 Char See Ethnic code table.
Ethnic description 3   20 Char Ethnic group description (third).
Gender M 1 Char Sex of healthcare user (F/M).
Admission source code *   1 Char Routine admission (R)/ transferred to this hospital from another hospital (T).
Admission source description   30 Char Description of above.
Admission date M 8 Char CCYYMMDD.
Discharge date M 8 Char CCYYMMDD.
Event end type code * M 2 Char Type of separation (see the code table).
Event end type description   25 Char Description of separation type.
Weight on admission #   4 Char For infants < 29 days only.
Gestation period #   2 Char For infants born in hospital only.
Age of mother #   2 Char For infants born in hospital only.
Diagnosis type *   1 Char A code denoting whether the following fields pertain to a diagnosis, operation, or an accident. Enter A for principal diagnosis, B for other diagnosis, O for procedure and E for accident (external cause codes).
Diagnosis/operation/accident description * M 50 Char Diagnosis, operation, or accident description.
Diagnosis/operation/accident code *   8 Char Diagnosis, operation, or accident ICD-10-AM code.
Coding system code   2 Char ‘06’ for ICD-9-CM-A, '10' for ICD-10-AM 1st Edition, '11' for ICD-10-AM 2nd Edition, '12' for ICD-10-AM 3rd Edition, '13' for ICD-10-AM 6th Edition.
Operation/accident date *   8 Char Date of operation or accident (CCYYMMDD) Where the Diagnosis type is O or E the date of the operation or the accident is required.

The following notes refer to the fields highlighted in the load file layout with an *:

Load file layout notes
Field name Explanation
Address line 1 Please supply sufficient address details including street and city/district. This is to enable MOH to derive a domicile code.
Ethnic code/description Please endeavour to supply a code(s) or description. A code table is attached should you wish to use these codes in your system.
Admission source code Please supply either a text description or a code. A code table is attached should you wish to use these codes in your system.
Event end type code Please supply either a text description or a code. A code table is attached should you wish to use these codes in your system.
Diagnosis type For an operation supply an ‘O’. For an external cause (accident) an ‘E’. For principal diagnoses report an ‘A’. If you are able to report more than one diagnosis code these should be coded with a ‘B’.
Diagnosis/operation/accident description Please supply a description for each diagnosis, operation or accident, whether or not a code can be supplied.
Diagnosis/operation/accident code Please supply a code to indicate the version of codes that you are reporting. For:
ICD9-CM-A the code is '06'
ICD-10-AM 1st edition the code is '10'
ICD-10-AM 2nd edition the code is '11'
ICD-10-AM 3rd edition the code is '12'
ICD-10-AM 6th edition the code is '13'
Operation/accident date Please supply a date for each operation and each accident.

The following notes refer to the fields highlighted with an # in the load file layout, which are only relevant for hospitals reporting maternity cases:

Please note: A separate discharge record is required for the mother and infant.

The infant’s record should contain the following additional information:

Additional information for infants’ records
Field name Explanation
Weight on admission The weight of an infant (in grams) upon admission to hospital.
Gestation period This is the period of gestation (in weeks).
Age of mother This is the age of the mother at the time of the birth (in completed years).

Load file specifications

File naming convention

When supplying a file to the Ministry of Health, please name it according to the following convention:

AAAnnnnn.CSV

where AAA is an acronym for each hospital which is supplied by the Ministry of Health.

Nnnnn represents ‘0’ (zero) year and month of the latest discharge record included in the file. For example, 00506 is a file containing data up to June 2005.

File type

The load file should be sent as a Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file. All character variables should be enclosed in double quotation marks. A sample record containing one diagnosis, one operation and one accident is attached. Please note that we have included both coded values and their descriptions in the sample record.

Code tables

The code tables listed below contain the standard codes used by the Ministry of Health to code the following data elements:

  • ethnic group (race)
  • admission source (source)
  • event end type (separation type)
Ethnic Group codes
Code Description
10 European not further defined
11 NZ European / Pakeha
12 Other European
21 NZ Māori
30 Pacific Island not further defined
31 Samoan
32 Cook Island Maori
33 Tongan
34 Niuean
35 Tokelauan
36 Fijian
37 Other Pacific Island
40 Asian not further defined
41 South East Asian
42 Chinese
43 Indian
44 Other Asian
51 Middle Eastern
52 Latin American / Hispanic
53 African
99 Not stated
Admission Source codes
Code Description
R Routine admission
T Transferred from another facility
Event End Type codes
Code Description
DA Discharge to acute facility
DC Psychiatric patient discharged to community care
DD Died
DI Self-discharge from hospital, indemnity signed
DL Psych patient on leave > 10 days from psych institution
DN Psych remand patient discharged w/o committal
DO Patient kept sustainable for organ donation
DP Psych patient transferred for further psychiatric care
DR Ended routinely
DS Self discharge from hospital
DT Non-psych patient tfrd to non-psych facility
DW Discharge to other service within same facility

Sample Load File – for a coded file sent to the Ministry of Health using ICD-10-AM 6th edition coding.

ID,PURCHASER CODE, HEALTH AGENCY, HAF,NHI,SURNAME,FIRSTNAM,SECNAME,THIRDNAM,ADD1,ADD2,ADD3,ADD4,ADD5,DOB,DOMCODE,NZRES,ETH1,ETHDESC1,ETH2,ETHDESC2,ETH3,ETHDESC3, GENDER,ADMSRC,ADMDESC,ADMDATE,DISDATE,DISTYPE,DISDESC,ADMWGT,GEST,MOTHAGE,DIAGTYPE01,DESC01,DIAGCODE01,CODESYS01,OPDATE01,DIAGTYPE02,DESC02,DIAGCODE02,CODESYS02,
OPDATE02,DIAGTYPE03,DESC03,DIAGCODE03,CODESYS03,OPDATE03

“1234567","13","8331","8331","AAA9999","FamilyName","FirstName","SecondName","ThirdName","Address Line 1","Address Line 2","Address Line 3","Address Line 4","Address Line 5","19510224","2077","Y","21","maori","43","indian","52","chinese","M","R","Routine admission","20080631","20080702","DR","Routine discharge",,,,"A","Fracture head of Femur","S7200","13",,"O","Total hip replacement","","13","20080631","E","Fell “,"W19","13","20080631"

“1234567","13","0001","9999","AAA9999","Smith","John","Henry","David","1 Seaview Drive","Hillcrest","Whakatane","","","19510224","9999","Y","21","","43","","52","","M","R","Routine admission","20080631","20080702","DR","Routine discharge","6754","24","36","A","Fracture head of Femur","S7200","13","","O","Total hip replacement","","","20080631","E","Fell out of bed in hosp","W069","13","20080631","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","",""
“1234568","06","8268","8268","AB01243","Te Rukuihi","Marenata","M","","112 Florence Drive","Morrinsville","","","","19510330","","","","English","","French","","","F","","Transfer from Tauranga hospital","20080722","20080724","","Routine Discharge","","","","O"," Rib resection / r trans axillary rib removal","","","20080722","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","",""
“1234569","06","8268","8268","","","","M","","12 Fiorenza Drive","Hamilton","","","","19661225","","","","German","","Russian","","","F","","Home","20080715","20080723","","Died","","","","O"," Rib resection / r trans axillary rib removal","","","20080722","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","",""

Publishing information

  • Date of publication:
    01 September 2008
  • Ordering information:
    Only soft copy available to download
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