National Animal Health Data Standards
The National Animal Health Data Standards (NAHDS) are taxonomic and diagnostic coding data sets.
They were originally created in 1998 to promote accuracy and consistency of animal-health-related diagnostic and surveillance data entered into the National Animal Health Information System.
With the rapid growth in use of, and demands upon, biosecurity software systems in Australia since then, data standards are increasingly important.
The NAHDS:
- increase the ability to share data across varied information technology platforms
- enable accurate and rapid collation, integration of data
- improve the quality of data through the use of pick-lists; reducing data entry error
- facilitate the creation of a nationally standardised animal health data set.
Broad compliance with these standards will also increase the secondary and tertiary use of data for surveillance, research and education.
Complete sets or elements of the NAHDS are now incorporated within several biosecurity software systems:
- National Animal Health Information System (NAHIS)
- Biosecurity Surveillance, Incident, Response and Tracing (BioSIRT)
- Sample Tracking and Reporting System (STARS)
- Australian Animal Pathology Standards Program (Animal Health Australia)
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health database
- Australian Wildlife Health Network information management system (eWHIS)
- Some State and territory laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
- Expertise Directory of the Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network (ABIN)
A current database of national animal health data standards is available for download and use by the Australian animal biosecurity sector. Standards feature:
These data standards are designed to be incorporated into software systems in conjunction with other nationally agreed pick-lists, such as the Presenting Clinical Syndrome List and Diagnostic Category List, http://www.scahls.org.au/guidelines/reporting_of_syndromes.
Animal Health Australia has contracted the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health (a program of the Taronga Conservation Society) since 1999, to maintain and promote the standards. New host species and aetiological agents are added to the taxonomy lists as they are encountered, and modifications to taxonomy are incorporated under the guidance of a qualified taxonomist.
For more information please contact:
Ian Langstaff
Manager Disease Surveillance
Animal Health Australia
Phone: (02) 6203 3909
ilangstaff@animalhealthaustralia.com.au