title: Prior hospitalization and age as predictors of mental health resource utilization in Israel.
abstract: A two-part demand model based on data from a psychiatric case registry was estimated in order to search for predictors of hospital-based psychiatric care utilization. Using only age as an independent variable, explanation of future resource utilization is considerably weaker than when number of cumulative days of psychiatric hospital-based service use during the previous five years is also included. Only a small marginal gain is achieved by also adding diagnoses. Prospective remuneration by capitating sick funds according to age and past hospital-based service utilization records is recommended to avoid the twin pitfalls of cream-skimming and a distorted allocation of resources for psychiatric services.
authors.affiliation: Division of Information and Computing, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005544:Forecasting / Q000379:methods; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000639:trends; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007902:Length of Stay; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000191:economics