AUSTPATH (Australian Pathology Code Set)

Sets of standardised coded terms for naming pathology tests and test results. These coded terms are recommended by Standards Australia for electronic HL7-based messaging within Australia, per AS4700.2

These flat file codeset tables were formerly available for download from the University of Wollongong, from 2003. They fell into abeyance for many years when NEHTA was funded $32,000,000 by the Council of Australian Governments for rationalising healthcare terminologies in Australia. Since 2005, NEHTA has been engaged in a parallel activity to introduce SNOMED-CT into pathology communications. From mid 2009, the Australian Healthcare Messaging Laboratory hosted proprietary Microsoft Excel versions of the AUSTPATH files for public download.

A report on the original AUSTPATH codeset development and distribution may be available here:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/qupp-qupp-reports.htm/$FILE/DevelMaintSyst_Code%20Sets_Dec03.pdf.pdf

A copy was saved here in May 2010.

In March 2010, Standards Australia published a Technical Report (TR5202-2010) entitled "Standardization of LOINC Terminology in Australian Laboratories for Pathology Reporting", which made a number of recommendations for the ongoing maintenance of AUSTPATH codes. This report is available from Standards Australia portal, here . A major contributor to this was the Australian Association of Clinical Biochemists, through its LOINC Working Party.

You can find information on the following codesets:-

Note: The AUSTPATH codesets have been developed to meet only some of the requirements for terminology use in pathology systems and communication in healthcare, including standardising test names and component result names; linking test names to MBS item numbers; linking names to LOINC codes. They are insufficient to meet all the terminology needs.

This site is currently hosted and kindly sponsored by Montage Systems Pty. Ltd.

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