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Office of Data Integrity

Office of Data Integrity

Director: Tim Barta
Tel (61 3) 9096 8571
Email: tim.barta@health.vic.gov.au

Manager: Vaughn Moore
Tel (61 3) 9096 9969
Email: vaughn.moore@health.vic.gov.au

The Director, Data Integrity is responsible for ensuring the integrity of performance and activity data about the Victorian public health system

The primary datasets mandated by the Department of Health are:

Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED) which compiles details of all admitted patient episodes in Victorian hospitals
Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD) for which health services provide details of emergency department presentations
Elective Surgery Information System (ESIS) which includes information about elective surgery waiting lists at Victorian public hospitals
Victorian Non-admitted Health dataset (VINAH) to which health services provide information concerning sub-acute, palliative care and outpatient episodes of care.

The Director is also responsible for the investigation of complaints concerning manipulation and/or falsification of public hospital data. Complaints can be directed to the Director using the contact details above or by contacting the Corporate Integrity, Information and Resolutions Unit. All complaints are treated confidentially.

The Office of Data Integrity plans and manages the Department’s health data audit program of all health services reporting to the Department’s key datasets. The Office also monitors progress with audit recommendation implementation.

Health Service boards have been advised they are accountable for the accuracy of data on which their health service reports and that board Audit Committees will be explicitly responsible for this, including regular internal audit. In addition health service boards are required to provide a statement in their annual report to Parliament that they have appropriate systems and processes in place to assure the quality of reported data.

The Director has advised health service CEOs of further measures:

All health service staff using emergency department and elective surgery waiting list systems are to have a unique identifier and password to access the systems
Changes to specific data fields in health service systems are to be authorised by senior staff
Audit logs are to be maintained of all transactions in these systems for specified data fields.
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