title: Is DRG useful in orthopedics?
abstract: The increasing hospital costs have provoked discussions about Diagnose Related Groups (DRG) and its role in controlling the growth of hospital budgets. The relevance to current operation statistics and the structure of DRG in orthopedics are analyzed. The direct application of DRG to Scandinavian statistics does not appear to be reliable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Central Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niinimäki
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jalovaara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Linnakko
mesh_terms: D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics*; D010361:Patients / Q000145:classification; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries