Reference Table Codes

Communicare reference tables use a variety of codes to identify and manage clinical data.

System Codes

These codes of three characters are used to identify specific data in certain reference tables. Often the system code is not accessible to local users (for example, in defining patient status or other patient group types) but the following tables have access to the code:
  • Clinical Item Types (for example, 'PRE' identifies all clinical items that record relevent aspects of a pregnancy).
  • Qualifiers, and the separate elements of reference type qualifiers (for example, 'HBA' recognises an HbA1c value; 'SMO' recognises a smoking status and its dropdown references have system codes such as 'S' for a current smoker, 'E' for an ex-smoker and 'N' for a non-smoker or a person who has never smoked).
The system code can be used for:
  • Program behaviour (for example, the automated patient status update uses system codes when adjusting a patient's current status).
  • High level recognition (for example, when calculating BMI automatically the program looks for an existing weight and height for that patient by using the system codes for weight (WKG) and height (HCM)).
  • Reporting ( see export codes below).
Important clinical item system codes:
  • AHC - identifies an adult Aboriginal health check (used by H4L and NT KPI to identify a completed adult health check for a patient who does not have an appropriate MBS claim).
  • CHC - identifies a child Aboriginal health check (used by H4L and NT KPI to identify a completed child health check for a patient who does not have an appropriate MBS claim).
  • CHI - Child Health Check Intervention (NT). No longer in use.
  • CMA - identifies an aged care resident check.
  • CPA - identifies a GP management plan (used by H4L and NT KPI to identify a completed management plan for a patient who does not have an appropriate MBS claim).
  • CPD - identifies a care plan document (Communicare use only).
  • EHC - identifies an over 75s check.
  • OHC - identifies an over 55s Aboriginal health check.
  • PRE - identifies pregnancy related items. In association with a rule code that has a PR prefix the 'pregnancy number' attribute is revealed on the clinical item.
  • SFH - identifies changes and additions to the social and family history tab (Communicare use only).
  • TCA - identifies team care arrangements (used by H4L and NT KPI to identify completed team care arrangements for a patient who does not have an appropriate MBS claim).
Important qualifier system codes:
  • Pregnancy qualifiers:
    • EDD (estimated date of delivery)
    • EDU (EDD by ultrasound)
    • FHR (foetal heart rate)
    • GST (gestation)
    • LMP (last menstrual period)
    • PGR (gravida)
    • PMI (number of miscarriages)
    • PPA (parity)
    • PRA (indigenous status of father)
    • PRD (date of delivery)
    • PRF (baby's feeding method)
    • PRH (fundal height)
    • PRL (duration of labour)
    • PRN (baby's name)
    • PRP (baby's place of birth)
    • PRS (baby's sex)
    • PRW (baby's birthweight)
    • PTE (number of terminations)
    • RPP (previous pregnancies - Communicare use only).
  • X as a prefix - STI results (Communicare use only).
  • [Various numeric qualifiers] - important numeric qualifiers are identified by system codes:
    Note: Sysetm codes applied to numeric qualifiers must use the same units as the central item with that system code. For example, a local qualfier to capture a patient's weight in pounds must not use the system code of WKG.
    • ACR (ACR)
    • ALB (albumin)
    • BGF (fasting glucose)
    • BGR (random glucose)
    • BPD (diastolic BP)
    • BPS (systolic BP)
    • BMI (body mass index - will appear on centile chart)
    • CHO (cholesterol)
    • CHR (total cholesterol/HDL ratio)
    • CRU (creatinine in micromols per litre)
    • CRM (creatinine in millimols per litre)
    • GFE (estimated GFR)
    • GFI (GFR based on ideal body weight)
    • HBA (HbA1c)
    • HBH (haemoglobin)
    • HCC (head circumference - will appear on centile chart)
    • HCM (height - will appear on centile chart)
    • HDL (HDL)
    • INR (INR)
    • LDL (LDL)
    • OXY (oxygen saturation)
    • PCR (protein creatine ratio)
    • PSA (PSA)
    • RSP (respiratory rate)
    • TMP (temperature)
    • TRG (triglycerides)
    • UPD (urine protein dipstick)
    • WCM (waist circumference)
    • WKG (weight - will appear on centile chart).
  • [Risk factors reference type qualifiers] - important risk factors are identified by system codes:
    • ALC (alcohol consumption)
    • ALP (alcohol consumption in pregnancy)
    • IDP (illicit drug use in pregnancy)
    • IDU (illicit drug use); SMO (smoking status)
    • SMP (smoking status in pregnancy). The smoking references also have system codes (E for ex-smoker statuses, S for current smoker statuses and N for non-smokers and never-smoked.
  • History:
    • RFH (family history - Communicare use only)
    • RSH (social history - Communicare use only)

Export Codes

These codes of up to eight characters are used to identify specific data in certain reference tables. Often the export code is not accessible to local users (for example, in defining Aboriginal type or other patient group types) but the following tables have access to the code:
  • Clinical Item Types (for example, the export code PAPSMEAR is used to identify items that record that a pap smear has been done: NT KPI reports use this data to determine if a woman has a current pap smear).
  • Qualifiers, and the separate elements of reference type qualifiers (for example, the ANFPP and HACC data export reports use export codes to identify data they require).
The export code is used for:
  • Data export and reporting.
  • Identifying immunisation types with AIR codes to allow automated upload to the Australian Immunisation Register.
Important clinical item export codes:
  • BICILLIN - identifies a clinical item that is evidence of an LA Bicillin injection or equivalent having been done.
  • PAPSMEAR - identifies a clinical item that is evidence of a pap smear having been done.
  • BREAST - identifies a clinical item that is evidence of a breast screening or check having been done.
  • DA-, DR- (as prefixes) - Drug and Alcohol.
  • HA- (as prefix) - Home and Community Care.
  • [AIR codes] - Immunisation types that have an allocated AIR code (for example, 'BCG', 'FLUVAX', 'PNEUMO', etc.).
  • STI- (as prefix) - STI screening and treatment related data.
  • TS- (as prefix) - Tackling Smoking data.
  • MCH-GRP - Maternal and Child Health group activities.
  • HP-GRP - Health Promotion group activities.
Important qualifier export codes:
  • CI- (as prefix) - NT Intervention data.
  • DA - (as prefix) - Drug and Alcohol data.
  • CS, DM, EL, EN, FP, HA, HC, HH, IB, PR, RL (as prefixes) - ANFPP data.
  • HA- (as prefix) - Home and Community Care.
  • HS- (as prefix) - Headspace.
  • STI- (as prefix) - STI screening and treatment related data.
  • TARG- (as prefix) - qualifier that sets a target value for a patient rather than an actual value (e.g. TARG-INR).
  • TSR- (as prefix) - Tackling Smoking referrals.
  • WRF - New Warfarin dose.
Special codes for cardiovascular risk calculator qualifiers:
  • CVR-R05C - this should be used for a dropdown box used to capture the risk category of CVD within the next 5 years using the CARPA STM method. Dropdown references should use a system code of H for high, M for moderate, L for low and U for unknown.
  • CVR-R05F - this should be used for a dropdown box used to capture the risk category of CVD within the next 5 years using the Framingham method. Dropdown references should use a system code of H for high, M for moderate, L for low and U for unknown.
  • CVR-N05C - this should be used for a numeric qualifier that captures the percentage risk of CVD within the next 5 years using the CARPA STM method.
  • CVR-N05F - this should be used for a numeric qualifier that captures the percentage risk of CVD within the next 5 years using the Framingham method.

Rule Codes

Rule codes apply only to clinical item types and have the format LL-NNNN where LL is a two character code to identify a program with enrolment and exit behaviour. NNNN is one of a set of suffixes:
  • ENROL (this item is used to start a period of enrolment during which a patient can have 'action' type items added). An item of this type cannot be added if it has already been added to a patient's clinical record unless there is an 'exit' item (see below) recorded between the two enrolments.
  • EXIT (this item is used to end a period of enrolment). It can only be added to a patient's clinical record if there is an 'enrolment' type item of the same prefix (LL) that has not been exited.
  • ACT (this item can only be added between an enrolent and an exit of the same prefix).

The prefixes usually relate to a specific dataset (e.g. 'HA' for HACC, 'DA' for Drug and Alcohol, 'HS' for Headspace, etc.).

Pregnancy items have their own behaviour. The prefix is 'PR' and the suffixes are:
  • START (this item will be treated as a start of a pregnancy and will appear on the 'New Pregnancy' button of the Obstetrics tab). There can only be one clinical item of a specific pregnancy number for a specific patient and the system will check if there is already a start to, say, pregnancy 3 by looking for other items with the rule code 'PR-START'.
  • END (this item will end a pregnancy of the same pregnancy number and will appear on the 'End Pregnancy' and 'Past Pregnancy' buttons of the Obstetrics tab. It can also be used to record past pregnancies). It is possible to record multiple ends to a single pregnancy in the case of multiple births. This item will cause a pregnancy to end and thus, unless the woman has a pregnancy start of a later pregnancy number, the woman will not be shown as currently pregnant.
  • CHECK (this item will qualify as an antenatal check and will appear on the 'Antenatal Check' button of the Obstetrics tab).
  • HIST (used uniquely for an item to record the current pregnancy history of gravida, parity, miscarriages and terminations).
  • STAT (an item that records supplementary detail about a current or past pregnancy). For example, a pregnancy can be started and then later found to be a multiple pregnancy. The item 'Pregnancy;multiple' has the rule code 'PR-STAT' to be able to associate it with the same pregnancy number as the 'Pregnancy;confirmed' for that patient.
Important rule code prefixes:
Note: Contact Communicare Support for advice when considering setting up a local enrolment-exit protocol.
  • PR - pregnancy related behaviours.
  • HA - Home and Community Care.
  • DA, DR - Drug and Alcohol.
  • HS - Headspace.

ICPC Codes

There are two values stored in the clinical item table - ICPC Code and ICPC Termcode. For example, Diabetes Mellitus has the ICPC Code of 'T90' and the ICPC Termcode of '002'. This data is supplied by the ICPC-2 PLUS central import. Where users have an analagous clinical item, the ICPC Code should be entered appropriately to identify this clinical item to various reports that look for the ICPC Code.

For example, the Healthy for Life reports identify diabetic patients as those with a clinical item code of 'T90'.

Finding and recording codes

The administrator can use the Clinical Item Types and Qualifier Types reference tables to see and edit these codes. Find the element and double-click to edit.

Known Codes

Your administrator can run the following report to identify system codes and rule codes in your database:

Report > Reference Tables > System Codes and Rule Codes

Note: Those items and qualifiers with a number of less than 1000000000 are local items and care should be taken to validate any system code or rule code associated with these elements.
ICPC codes can be seen and queried using:
  • Report > Reference Tables > Clinical Item Types
  • Report > Reference Tables > Clinical Item Groups

Export codes are usually specific to particular datasets.