The Victorian Health Incident Management System Minimum Dataset (VHIMS MDS) is a standardised dataset designed to collect clinical and occupational health and safety (OH&S) incidents, near misses and hazards. These data must be collected in all Victorian public health services and all services under their governance structure including community health and bush nursing centres.

The purpose of the VHIMS MDS is to improve quality, safety, and patient experience in Victorian public health services through access to standardised state-wide reporting, supporting the roles of VAHI, the Department of Health (DH) and Safer Care Victoria (SCV).

Consultation on VHIMS MDS 2024-25

The Victorian Agency for Health Information (VAHI) has commenced consultation with health services, Safer Care Victoria (SCV) and colleagues across the department to refine the Victorian Health Incident Management System (VHIMS) Minimum Dataset (MDS). The Proposals for revisions to the Victorian Health Incident Management System Minimum Data Set (VHIMS MDS) for 2024−25 document (below) outlines the changes proposed to the Victorian Health Incident Management System (VHIMS) minimum dataset (MDS) for 2024−25 through the inaugural VHIMS MDS review and annual change process.

The review and annual change process responds to feedback from health services that highlighted opportunities to refine the dataset and business rules to reduce the reporting burden on health services and improve data quality and utility.

For the 2024−25 review cycle, all proposals for change have been developed by VAHI, in consultation with sector stakeholders, including representatives of health services, the Department of Health (the department) and Safer Care Victoria (SCV), and have been informed by the principles of data quality and integrity: relevance, collectability, applicability, utility, data quality, implementation and consequential impact.

All stakeholders, including health services, software vendors and data users (including those within the department and SCV) are invited to provide feedback on the feasibility of the proposals.

Feedback on proposed changes to the MDS can be submitted online. Consultation is open until 6 pm, Friday 17 November.

The final 2024−25 VHIMS MDS will be released in December 2023. Specifications for accepted changes will be published in early 2024 to support implementation from 1 July 2024.

Downloads and links

Proposals for revisions to the Victorian Health Incident Management System Minimum Data Set (VHIMS MDS) for 2024−25

Consultation form

Annual Change Process

It is anticipated that the VHIMS MDS will undergo an annual review and change process, bringing the dataset into line with other collections overseen by the department. The annual changes process is an important aspect of data governance and ensures that departmental data collections continue to support the needs of stakeholders.

All proposals for change for 2024−25 have been developed by VAHI, in consultation with sector representatives. However, it is expected that future reviews will align with well-established annual change processes utilised for the department’s administrative datasets. Further information see https://www.health.vic.gov.au/data-reporting/annual-changes.

VHIMS Data Manual

The VHIMS MDS data manual provides a complete data set resource for incident reporters and data users, including

  • definitions of data items.
  • information and business rules regarding data recording and transmission.
  • contact details for support related to the VHIMS MDS

The first VHIMS MDS manual was published in March 2022. From 1 July 2023 the manual will be updated annually. The current manual VHIMS Health Incident Management System (VHIMS) Minimum Dataset Manual 2023-24 incorporates changes to the MDS effective from 1 July 2023.

Downloads