Terms and definitions

(See Median)

The 90th percentile time is the time within which 90% of the patients have received treatment. See ‘Waiting time’ for related information.

Process where a patient is admitted to hospital.

A patient is admitted when hospital staff decide that patient requires same day, overnight or multi-day care in hospital. An admitted patient may also be receiving hospital care elsewhere as part of a special program (e.g. Hospital in the Home program).

Administered by the Commonwealth and applies to all residential aged care providers and short-term restorative care provided in a residential setting.

Health services outside of medicine, dentistry and nursing. Practitioners have specialised expertise in preventing, diagnosing and treating a range of conditions and illnesses.

Ambulances provide care and transport for patients requiring urgent and non-urgent medical assistance.

Clinical mental health services are provided to Victorians with a serious mental illness or disorder. These services are called area mental health services (AMHS) and are managed by general health facilities, mostly hospitals.

Hospital beds that are immediately available for use by a patient with appropriate staffing available.

A day (or part of a day) during which a patient is admitted to hospital.

Hospitals may be single campus (at one physical location) or multi-campus (with different locations).

Performed on the organs inside the chest (thorax) and generally includes surgery for heart and lung conditions.

Removal of a lens of the eye affected by a cataract.

Can occur when a patient in an intensive care unit (ICU) develops an infection at the site in the body where a central line (catheter) is placed.

Surgical procedure to remove the gall bladder.