This extension applies to the Patient resource and is used to represent ethnic identity (see Australian Bureau of Statistics for further information). This extension is to support the provision of healthcare services to patients with specific cultural identities. This extension provides further information about a person’s cultural values and practices which can be significant in determining service type, support required and possible needs.

The words 'ethnicity' and 'ethnic' are associated with many different meanings, but for the purpose of this extension ethnicity refers to the shared identity or similarity of a group of people on the basis of one or more distinguishing sociological characteristics, such as language, shared history, religion, cultural traditions or geographic origin etc. This extension supports Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as ethnicities originating from outside of Australia.