The need for a "resource consumption profile" for monitoring patient care.
The implementation of a DRG-based payment system in the United States relied on a stream of data which already existed, namely that of patient billing data. The growing interest outside of the United States in a diagnosis-based payment system will, at some point, require hospitals to generate patient-specific resource consumption profiles (RCPs) for setting hospital payment rates, and budgeting. Our experience has been that the RCPs can be used for extremely specific quality assurance studies as well.
Mendenhall
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Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.
D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005249:Fees and Charges; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010350:Patient Credit and Collection; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000191:economics*