Each year the Department of Health reviews the data elements and format of its key health services data collections.
This review - the annual change process - seeks to ensure that health data collected in Victoria:
- supports the department's state and national reporting obligations
- assists planning and policy development
- reflects changes in hospital funding and service provision arrangements for the coming financial year
- incorporates appropriate feedback from data providers on improvements.
The annual change process is managed by the Health Services Data and is governed by the Department's Annual Changes Governance Committee (ACGC).
The annual change process
This year, 2025-26, the change review process considered proposals submitted for 2024-25 and deferred for consideration during the 2025-26 annual review. Only the department proposed new changes for 2025-26 and were limited to those that were essential to meet our national reporting obligations or key government priorities.
This targeted process gave health services time to consolidate significant changes implemented in 2024-25 (including reporting of sex at birth and gender).
Annual changes are approved by the Deputy Secretary, Commissioning and System Improvement based upon recommendations by the ACGC.
The approved changes are documented as specifications for revisions and are distributed (through the HDSS distribution list) no later than 31 December each year for implementation by 1 July of the following year. The specification documents are published by mid-January each year.
Notification of any additional changes is published in the HDSS Bulletin.
Specifications for revisions to data collections for 2024-25
Specifications for revisions to the Victorian Cost Data Collection (VCDC) for 2024-25
docx 824.07 KB
Specifications for revisions to data collections for 2025-26
Specifications for revisions to the Agency Information Management System (AIMS) for 2025-26
docx 882.82 KB | Updated: 7 January 2025
Specifications for revisions to the Elective Surgery Information System (ESIS) for 2025-26
docx 623.99 KB | Updated: 7 January 2025
Specifications for revisions to the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED) for 2025-26
docx 680.16 KB | Updated: 7 January 2025
Specifications for revisions to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD) for 2025-26
docx 661.52 KB | Updated: 7 January 2025
Specifications for revisions to the Victorian Integrated Non-Admitted Health Minimum Dataset (VINAH) for 2025-26
docx 661.92 KB | Updated: 13 January 2025
Archive
For last year's revision, visit Annual changes archive.
Reviewed 13 January 2025
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For information and advice about standards, specifications and data quality processes for the VAED, VEMD, ESIS, AIMS, VINAH and VCDC.
HDSS Helpdesk Department of Health