title: Classification of ambulatory care using patient-based, time-oriented indexes.
abstract: This paper presents a new approach to the classification of ambulatory care into isoresource consumption groups. In contrast to classification schemes based on visits, this case-mix approach creates an index based on resources used by diagnostic categories by a patient during a year. An application of this method to a primary care, group practice data base produced resource consumption groups with coefficients of variation in an acceptable range compared with the coefficients of variation of the diagnosis-related groups used to classify inpatient care.
mesh_terms: D000043:Abstracting and Indexing; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000145:classification*; D002140:California; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005260:Female; D006123:Group Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011445:Prospective Payment System; D013997:Time Factors