NADAbase
NADAbase is a comprehensive system for client data collection and reporting, including outcomes data. NADA provides the database free to members for the National Minimum Data Set and NSW Minimum Data Set for Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services (N/MDS) and Client Outcomes Measures (COMs).
Who collects the data? All NADAbase data is collected by staff from our NGO member services. Our members use NADAbase data for recording client data, quality improvement, evaluation, research and much more.
What is the data used for? In addition to supporting our NGO members with their NADAbase data, NADA also submits NADAbase data to funding bodies on behalf of its members. NADA also uses data from NADAbase to conduct work in line our strategic priorities [PDF] to benefit our membership as a whole.
Interactive data
The below data visualisations show NADAbase data collected during the 2023-2024 AODTS N/MDS reporting cycle. In some cases, data from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 reporting cycles are included for comparison purposes.
NADAbase expansion project report
NADAbase underwent a series of improvements from 2017 and 2019 that enhanced data collection, client care planning, and overall reporting for member services using NADAbase. At the end of the project, an evaluation was conducted by researchers from the University of Wollongong to asses the NADAbase improvements and provide direction for future NADAbase work.
NADAbase expansion project report [PDF]
Data management plan
NADA considers effective data management a priority area and has sought to support NADA members to engage with ethical collection and reporting of data from clients and consumers. The NADA data management plan describes NADA’s datagovernance practices. The plan also covers the facilities and equipment NADA uses to ensure adherence to ethical practices and privacy for any data collected, used or stored by NADA.
NADA has implemented a range of policies and processes to provide members and clients with a secure, transparent and positive experience in their use of NADAbase. Learn more.
Learn how to use NADAbase with the online tutorial.
NADAbase frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Short factsheets that provide information on frequently asked data questions to assist services with their data collection and quality.
NADAbase FAQs [PDF]
Privacy and consent
NADA members and users of NADAbase are required to comply with the National Privacy Act including the 10 National Privacy Principles (1998- revised 2011) National Privacy Act and the NSW Health Records and Information Privacy (HRIP) Act (2002).
Before administering any questions via NADAbase, you must inform clients that steps will be taken to protect the privacy of their personal information. Forms for staff outlining requirements of privacy protection and client consent are provided below.
Privacy and consent for clients [DOCX]
Data reporting agreement [DOCX]
Data forms
NADAbase episodes data collection form [PDF]
NADAbase outcomes data collection form [PDF]
Data dictionary
The NADAbase data dictionary provides definitions, descriptions of data elements and guidelines for collection and submission to assist members with building compatible systems and importing functionality for NADAbase.
NADAbase data dictionary [PDF]
Screeners
Three risk screeners have been incorporated into NADAbase to assist members in providing the best possible client care. The screeners are attached to each client’s episode and are used to inform care planning around suicide risk [PDF], domestic and family violence [PDF] and blood-borne virus [PDF] and sexual health risk.
Client Outcomes Measures System (COMS)
NADAbase COMS assists with measuring of the client outcomes in non-government drug and alcohol organisations in NSW. Determining the treatment outcomes data collection set (2009) [PDF] provides the rationale for the selection of measures included in NADAbase.
Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile (ATOP)
The Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile is a clinical review tool that can also be used for outcome measurement. A brief, 22-item instrument that assesses various parameters of (a) substance use and (b) general health and wellbeing over the preceding 4 weeks. It is a patient reported outcome measure (PROM) and clinical risk screening tool, eliciting responses directly from clients and is designed to be incorporated into routine clinical care in AOD treatment settings.
ATOP form [Word]
ATOP form [PDF]
More information on www.aodcoqi.org and www.aodatop.org
Cheatsheets
Cheat sheets for the different NADAbase users.
Service administrator [PDF]
Standard user [PDF]
Data importer [PDF]
Outcomes data
Gain high-level insights into outcomes measures using the Outcomes Measures dashboard, supplemented by the Changes in Drug Use dashboard.
SLK-581 Guide
The Statistical linkage key 581 (SLK-581) is a client identifier that is based on information collected and used for the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS NMDS). The SLK-581 can be used to estimate the number of clients who use AOD services and analyse clients’ movement between agencies over time.
SLK-581 Guide for use [PDF]
Data reporting to funders
Important dates to note for data submission to funding bodies.
- • NSW Health received monthly MDS extracts of open and closed episodes every 21st of the month for the month prior
- • PHNs received NMDS + COMS extracts, and a data report of closed episodes every quarter
- • DoH receives annual NMDS extracts of closed episodes in October/November
- for the financial year prior
Factsheets for reporting
On behalf of its members, NADA provides data collected through NADAbase in partial fulfilment of the required key performance indicators for DoH, PHN, or NSW Health funding. NADA has prepared factsheets to provide guidance on how to input data in NADAbase to satisfy these requirements.
Data collection factsheet for youth-funded programs [PDF]
Importer guide
This guide leads users through the activities involved in successfully importing data to NADAbase from a bespoke client record management (CRM) system. A companion document to the 2024 NADAbase data dictionary, this guide primarily focusses on organisations who use their CRM system to record client and episode data.
NADAbase importer guide [PDF]
Data snapshots
The data snapshots provide an overview of data collected by the non government alcohol and drug treatment sector. the snapshots are ideal for use as benchmarking tools for your organisation.
NADAbase snapshot for July 2021 to June 2022 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for July 2020 to June 2021 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for July 2019 to June 2020 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for July 2018 to June 2019 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for July 2017 to June 2018 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for July 2016 to June 2017 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for July 2015 to June 2016 [PDF]
NADAbase snapshot for September 2010 to June 2015 [PDF]
What's new
New ‘Changes in Drug Use’ dashboard
The Changes in Drugs Use dashboard complements the Outcomes Measures dashboard in NADAbase. While the Outcomes Measures dashboard tracks changes in outcome scores, the Drug Use dashboard focuses on changes in substance use days. Together, they provide a more nuanced reporting of outcomes measures.
Users can access the Drug Use dashboard on the Homepage, next to the Outcomes Measures dashboard.
Take the 6-minute video tour of the Changes in Drug Use dashboard.
A video tour of the Outcomes Measures dashboard is also available here.
NADAbase went serverless
Transitioning NADAbase to a serverless application model increases the efficiency and flexibility of NADAbase application to accommodate the volume of data and the number of improvement features introduced since 2010. We also engage with enhanced Firewall protection to reinforce security measures for the serverless NADAbase application. As per NADAbase user agreement, NADA has taken every step to ensure that NADA members are confident for their clients’ data to have the optimal protection against potential malware and virus hacks into NADAbase.
Validation checks
NADA has added validation checks that will improve the quality of data reported through NADAbase to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and to funding bodies as per NADAbase User Agreement, and most importantly to ensure that members have the best quality data to inform care. We identified the most common and critical errors arising from our annual data submission from member services and built validation check rules for internal consistency. In addition, we applied a range of checks for client outcomes measures, including Severity of Substance Dependence (SDS), Keissler-10 (K10), WHO Quality of Life (WHO-BREF QoL) and Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile (ATOP), to ensure that the scores inputted are accurate.
Collecting additional, mandatory suburb and postcode data items for each episode of care
The NSW Ministry of Health, and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) have advised NADA of two additional data items that will be made mandatory July 1st, 2024 in the National and NSW Minimum Data set for Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Sector. NADA acknowledges that both these data items are sensitive and are committed to ensuring confidentially.
Postcode and suburb are two of the several geographic boundary determinants to extrapolate a person’s locality, for example, remoteness of the location (rural, regional or metropolitan). Collecting this information will help the sector to better understand the geographical representation in the broader AOD sector.
