An acute episode of care for an admitted patient is one in which the principal clinical intent is to do one or more of the following:

• manage labour (obstetric);
• cure illness or provide definitive treatment of injury;
• perform surgery;
• relieve symptoms of illness or injury (excluding palliative care);
• reduce severity of illness or injury;
• protect against exacerbation and/or complication of an illness and/or injury which could threaten life or normal functions;
• perform diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Qualified newborn episodes are also included. Qualified newborns are nine days old or less at admission and meet at least one of the following criteria at some stage of their episode of care:

• The newborn is the second or subsequent live born infant of a multiple birth; or
• The newborn is admitted to a special care facility in a hospital, being a facility approved by the Australian Government Health Minister for the purpose of the provision of special care (ie a 'special care nursery'); or
• The newborn is in hospital without its mother.