Data submissions to the AIHW for the 2023–24 collection will begin in August 2024. Agencies are required to collect this data from 1 July 2023 until 30 June 2024.

User documentation for 2023–24 data submissions

Changes for 2023–24

No changes were made.

Drug and Alcohol Program funded agency collection guidelines

This section provides information for agencies funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care Drug and Alcohol Program (DAP), including solely Primary Health Network (PHN) funded agencies. All in-scope agencies are required to submit data to the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS).

Who do I submit my data to?

PHN-commissioned agency submission process

To reduce the burden of data collection and validation on PHN commissioned services, agencies may report their AODTS NMDS data through existing data collection channels. PHN agencies that are solely funded by the PHN are to submit their data directly to the AIHW via the AIHW's validation tool (see submission process below). Where state and territory Governments are co-funders of agency services, service providers are to submit their data via their state/territory health department or peak body depending on jurisdictional reporting requirements.

In cases where the solely Commonwealth funded agency previously submitted data via their state/territory health department or peak body (for example, agencies that have had their funding source changed), the agency can continue to do so to ease collection burden.

Note: Agencies do not need to use the data entry sheet for recording treatment episodes if the data can be extracted from an agency database in the correct CSV format for submission to the AIHW.

Data submission process to the AIHW

The AIHW requires the NMDS data to be supplied in CSV format, listing each episode as a single record. This enables the submitted data to be entered into the AIHW validation tool (Validata). The following steps are part of the data submission process:

  1. When the collection opens in August 2024, agencies email [email protected], expressing their intent to report to the AODTS NMDS 2023–24 collection (no data is to be attached in this email).
  2. The AIHW will provide access to, and training for, the AODTS NMDS Validata tool. AOD services will need to:
    • Upload data in CSV format into the Validata tool.
    • Validata will perform a number of data quality checks against each record and output a report listing errors/edits where the data needs to be confirmed as correct or amended.
    • AOD services will be required amend the critical errors listed in the Validata report and upload a new clean version of the data file. This process continues until there are no critical errors remaining in the data.
  3. Agencies that already have Validata access can begin data validation of their AODTS NMDS 2023–24 data when the collection opens in August 2024.
  4. Once the data are 'clean' of critical errors, the AIHW will conduct a final review of the data submission and confirm the finalised frequency counts with the agency who then sign off and approve the data as finalised.
  5. Once all agencies sign off on their 2023–24 data, they are incorporated into a national AODTS NMDS dataset, analysed and used for the 2023–24 report and other agreed reporting requirements.

Data entry sheet

This workbook contains the correct codes for the 2023–24 collection.

The AIHW only requires the 'Data submission sheet' worksheet within the workbook. This contains all the episode data. Once completed, save it as a 'CSV file (Comma delimited) (*.csv)' and email the AIHW regarding data submission (see submission process above).

A client episode form is available for those agencies who require a form for data collection.