Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type: Data Element Short name: Postcode (Australian) METeOR identifier: 359055 Development status: DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Definition: The numeric descriptor for a postal delivery area, aligned with locality, suburb or place for the address of a person.
Data element concept attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Data element concept: Person (address)—Australian postcode METeOR identifier: 269894
Development status: NHIG, Standard 01/03/2005 NCSIMG, Standard 01/03/2005
NHDAMG, Standard 10/02/2006
Definition: The numeric descriptor for a postal delivery area, aligned with locality, suburb or place for the address of a person.
Context: Postcode is an important part of a person's postal address and facilitates written communication. It is one of a number of geographic identifiers that can be used to determine a geographic location. Postcode may assist with uniquely identifying a person.
Object class: Person
Property: Australian postcode
Source and reference attributes
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007
Value domain attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Value domain: Australian postcode code (Postcode datafile) {NNNN}
METeOR identifier: 287222
Development status: NHIG, Standard 04/05/2005 NCSIMG, Standard 25/08/2005
NHDAMG, Standard 10/02/2006
Definition: The Postcode datafile code set representing Australian postcodes as defined by Australia Post.
Classification Scheme: Postcode datafile
Representational attributes
Representation class: Code
Data type: Number Format: {NNNN}
Maximum character length: 4
Collection and usage attributes
Comments: Postcode - Australian may be used in the analysis of data on a geographical basis, which involves a conversion from postcodes to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) postal areas. This conversion results in some inaccuracy of information. However, in some data sets postcode is the only geographic identifier, therefore the use of other more accurate indicators (e.g. Statistical Local Area (SLA)) is not always possible.
When dealing with aggregate data, postal areas, converted from postcodes, can be mapped to Australian Standard Geographical Classification codes using an ABS
concordance, for example to determine SLAs. It should be noted that such concordances should not be used to determine the SLA of any individual's postcode. Where individual street addresses are available, these can be mapped to ASGC codes (e.g. SLAs) using the ABS National Localities Index (NLI).
Source and reference attributes
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007
Data element attributes
Collection and usage attributes
Collection methods: EDDC field: POSTCODE
Comments: For patients whose suburb (and hence postcode) is
unknown, but their state is known, the following codes are entered in the POSTCODE field.
0899 Northern Territory 2999 New South Wales
2999 Australian Capital Territory 3999 Victoria
The code 9999 is entered when a patient's postcode and state is unknown or if there is no fixed permanent address.
For overseas visitors, the code 8888 is entered in the POSTCODE field.
Source and reference attributes
Source: IMR, WA Department of Health
Relational attributes
Related metadata references: See also Person (address)—suburb/town/locality name, text [A(30)] DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person (address)—address line, text [X(50)] DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person—Australian state/territory identifier, code N DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Is used in the formation of Person—Australian state/territory identifier, code N DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Is used in the formation of Person—area of usual
residence, geographical location code (ASGC 2006) NNNNN DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Person (address)—address line, text [X(50)]
Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type: Data Element Short name: Address line
Synonymous names: Residential address METeOR identifier: 359051
Development status: DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Definition: A composite of one or more standard address components that describes a low level of geographical/physical description of a location, as represented by text.
Used in conjunction with the other high-level address components i.e. Suburb/town/locality, Postcode—
Australian, Australian state/territory.
Data element concept attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Data element concept: Person (address)—address line METeOR identifier: 292421
Development status: NHIG, Standard 04/05/2005 NCSIMG, Standard 30/09/2005
Definition: A composite of one or more standard address components that describes a low level of geographical/physical
description of a location that, used in conjunction with the other high-level address components i.e.
Suburb/town/locality, Postcode—Australian, Australian state/territory, and Country, forms a complete geographical/physical address of a person.
Object class: Person
Property: Address line
Source and reference attributes
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007
Value domain attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Value domain: Text [X(50)]
METeOR identifier: 359049
Representational attributes
Representation class: Text
Data type: String Format: [X(50)]
Maximum character length: 50
Source and reference attributes
Source: IMR, WA Department of Health
Data element attributes
Collection and usage attributes
Collection methods: EDDC field: BASE_ADDRESS
Comments: For patients with no fixed permanent address and the state or suburb is not known, UNKNOWN is entered in the BASE_ADDRESS field (and NFPA is entered in the SUBURB field, 9999 entered in the POSTCODE field and 0 entered in the STATE_CODE field).
For patients with no fixed permanent address, but the state and/or suburb is known NFPA is entered in the BASE_ADDRESS field (and the appropriate state code and/or postcode entered in the STATE_CODE field and POSTCODE field, respectively).
Source and reference attributes
Source: IMR, WA Department of Health
Relational attributes
Related metadata references: See also Person—Australian state/territory identifier, code N DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person (address)—suburb/town/locality name, text [A(30)] DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person (address)—Australian postcode, code {NNNN} DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Person (address)—suburb/town/locality name, text [A(30)]
Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type: Data Element Short name: Suburb/town/locality name METeOR identifier: 359053 Development status: DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Definition: The full name of the locality contained within the specific address of a person, as represented by text.
Data element concept attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Data element concept: Person (address)—suburb/town/locality name METeOR identifier: 269880
Development status: NHIG, Standard 01/03/2005 NCSIMG, Standard 01/03/2005
Definition: The full name of the locality contained within the specific address of a person.
Context: In conjunction with the postcode, the data element Suburb/town/locality name is included as an alternative means of reporting information about the geographic location of the residence of a client, or an
agency/establishment or where an event occurred. The preferred standard for reporting this information is by using a statistical local area (SLA) in conjunction with a State/Territory code. However, as some agencies may have difficulty allocating SLA codes to the residential locations of their clients without more computerised assistance than is currently available to them, agencies may be given the option of reporting this information by using Australian postcode plus Suburb/town/locality name.
Suburb/town/locality name may also be a component of a postal address.
Object class: Person
Property: Suburb/town/locality name
Source and reference attributes
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007
Value domain attributes
Development status: NHIG, Standard 01/03/2005 Definition: A combination of alphabetic characters.
Representational attributes
Representation class: Text
Data type: String Format: [A(30)]
Maximum character length: 30
Data element attributes
Collection and usage attributes
Collection methods: EDDC field: SUBURB
Comments: For patients with no fixed permanent address, NFPA is entered in the SUBURB field.
For overseas visitors, their country is entered into the SUBURB field.
Suburb names are entered in as provided in the postcode to suburb concordance available from the Australia Post website. Refer to the following website to download the datafile.
http://www1.auspost.com.au/postcodes/index.asp?sub=2
Source and reference attributes
Source: IMR, WA Department of Health
Relational attributes
Related metadata references: See also Person—Australian state/territory identifier, code N DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person (address)—Australian postcode, code {NNNN} DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person (address)—address line, text [X(50)] DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Is used in the formation of Person—Australian state/territory identifier, code N DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Person (name)—family name, text [A(50)]
Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type: Data Element Short name: Family name
Synonymous names: Surname, Last name METeOR identifier: 359036 Development status: DoH standard, 19/12/2007
Definition: That part of a name a person usually has in common with some other members of his/her family, as distinguished from his/her given names, as represented by text.
Data element concept attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Data element concept: Person (name)—family name METeOR identifier: 269711
Development status: NHIG, Standard 01/03/2005 NCSIMG, Standard 01/03/2005
NHDAMG, Standard 28/07/2005
Definition: That part of a name a person usually has in common with some other members of his/her family, as distinguished from his/her given names.
Context: Administrative purposes and individual identification.
Object class: Person
Property: Family name
Source and reference attributes
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007
Value domain attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes
Value domain: Text [A(50)]
METeOR identifier: 270907
Development status: NHIG, Standard 01/03/2005 NCSIMG, Standard 01/03/2005
Definition: A combination of alphabetic characters.
Source and reference attributes
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007
Data element attributes
Collection and usage attributes
Collection methods: EDDC field: SURNAME
Comments: If a patient's surname is unknown, then UNKNOWN is entered in the SURNAME field.
Non-alphabetic characters including dots, dashes, hyphens and apostrophes are allowed.
Source and reference attributes
Source: IMR, WA Department of Health
Relational attributes
Related metadata references: See also Person—given name (first), text [A(30)] DoH standard, 19/12/2007
See also Person—given name (second), text [A(30)] DoH standard, 19/12/2007