Understanding terminology data standards for allied health
Every allied health professional has their own clinical language conventions and ways of recording client information – but this means systems can’t communicate and critical client information gets lost or misinterpreted. Terminology data standards create a common language that allows care teams and software systems to exchange information reliably.
Why terminology data standards matter for allied health
Australia's health system is moving toward a shared digital infrastructure where clinical information flows between providers, settings and software systems in real time. For this to work, every system in the network needs to capture and structure data the same way.
Without a common standard, the system simply can’t function. If one clinician records "reduced shoulder flexion" and another records the same finding as "limited upper limb mobility," different software systems can't recognise or exchange that information reliably. This leaves clinicians to transfer it manually through more time-consuming workarounds, and critical details getting lost or misinterpreted along the way.
Terminology data standards solve this by providing agreed, consistent ways of naming and coding clinical information. Once coding systems are embedded in software, clinicians can choose the most suitable term for what they are describing as they produce client records.
In practice, this means:
the information is clear, consistent and reliable
the information can't be misinterpreted when received by other health professionals, consumers and their networks
software systems can share and receive information with any other system using the same coding
standard templates can be populated automatically, as the system knows which terms go where
clinical information can be shared with other providers in real time
data can be reliably extracted and analysed for research, policy and planning
future funding and service eligibility may be linked to the use of standards-based software
Australia's national standard terminology is currently being built by the CSIRO’s Sparked program; this is the Australian Core Data for Interoperability (AUCDI), which defines the core data elements that software systems should capture and structure consistently.
As more of the health system moves to shared digital infrastructure, the data you record today needs to be structured in a way that other systems can read and use. This page explains what AUCDI standards are, what they mean for your practice, and how you can get involved in shaping them.
How to get involved — a practical guide for allied health professionals
The terminology data standards currently being developed through Sparked will determine how clinical information is captured, shared, and reported across Australia's health system. Allied health professionals are underrepresented in this process — and that needs to change.
You don't need to be a digital health expert to have a say in national standards. Here's how to engage at whatever level suits you.
1. Understand the landscape
Start with the webinar below to understand what terminology standards are, why they matter, and where Australia is headed. Then explore the Australian Digital Health Agency's Standards page for an overview of the national framework.
2. Register with Sparked
Join the Sparked community as a clinician contributor to help shape what’s included in AUCDI. You don't need a technical background, clinical perspectives are essential to making sure national standards include the important health information allied health professionals generate and need to share.
3. Check your current software
Ask your practice management or clinical information system (CIS) vendor whether they're involved in the Sparked program and when their product will utilise the Australian Core Data for Interoperability (AUCDI) standards and the National Clinical Terminology Service.
If your software isn't on this path, it's worth pushing for a timeline. As mandated data sharing requirements come into effect, systems not using standard terminology will make routine reporting and real-time information sharing significantly harder.
4. Tell AHPA what terminology matters to you
AHPA represents allied health in national digital health consultations. If there are gaps in current standards that affect your clinical work, or if your profession or software system is already developing standardised terminology, let us know – we can raise gaps through the appropriate channels and advocate for broader implementation where applicable.
5. Stay informed
Subscribe to the AHPA Digital Digest for updates on digital health policy developments affecting allied health.
Watch: The benefits of consistent terminology data standards for clinical practice
Find out how consistent terminology will benefit your clients, your organisation, and the broader health system — and what you can do right now to help shape the standards being built.
Key terms explained
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An international standard for exchanging health information electronically between different systems. Think of it as a common language that allows a GP's software, a hospital system, and an allied health platform to share patient data securely and accurately. > HL7 FHIR overview
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Australia's national FHIR Accelerator — a community-led program coordinated by CSIRO's Australian e-Health Research Centre, in partnership with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Australian Digital Health Agency, and HL7 Australia. Sparked brings together clinicians, software vendors, government, and peak bodies to develop national data standards together.
> sparked.csiro.au -
The ability of different digital health systems to exchange and use data meaningfully. Without interoperability, a referral letter from a GP may not be readable by an allied health platform, and patient records can't follow a person across care settings.
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Agreed sets of clinical terms and codes used to record health information consistently. Examples include SNOMED CT-AU (a comprehensive clinical terminology) and LOINC (used for laboratory and clinical observations). When everyone uses the same terms, data becomes comparable, reportable, and sharable.
> healthterminologies.gov.au
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The Australian edition of SNOMED Clinical Terms — a structured clinical vocabulary used to record clinical information in health records consistently. It is the preferred clinical terminology for use in Australian health software.
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A widely used international coding system for health measurements, observations, and clinical documents — particularly laboratory and diagnostic results. LOINC codes are available through Australia's National Clinical Terminology Service alongside SNOMED CT-AU.
> loinc.org -
A national dataset developed through Sparked that defines the core health data elements — such as allergies, medications, diagnoses, and procedures — that should be captured and shared consistently across Australian health systems. The AUCDI is the ‘what’ of interoperability; FHIR AU Core is the ‘how.’
> AUCDI on Sparked -
The Australian affiliate of Health Level Seven International, the global not-for-profit organisation responsible for developing the FHIR standard and other health data exchange specifications.
> hl7.org.au