Development and Interpretation of the Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG's)

Article Abstract:

In responding to the Medicare prospective payment system, hospital administrators need to pay closer attention to the profit and loss by Diagnosis Related Group (DRG). Severity of illness, prognosis, treatment difficulty and need for intervention are factors which contribute to case- mix complexity. A higher complexity means higher costs. DRGs were constructed to assist in classifying patients in order to determine complexity. Traditional classification schemes were not appropriate. In developing DRGs, classification must be limited to characteristics normally collected in a hospital census into a manageable number of groups using similar resource intensity with similar clinical characteristics. To form DRGs, twenty- three Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs) are identified and each has two classifications - medical and surgical. Other variables then considered are complications, age of patient and patient discharge status. 470 patient classes are identified. Health Systems International revised the DRGs and released the revised versions in June 1983. The revisions were based on data collected from 1979 using the International Classification of Diseases - 9th Revision-Clinical Modification (ICO-9-CM) coding system. The DRGs provide administrators with data by which costs can be analyzed. With changing technology and improved evaluation techniques, they will need constant revision.

Hospitals, Hospital administration

---

Diagnosis and management of congenital hypothyroidism

Article Abstract:

Congenital hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder during infancy and childhood. It is important to understand the maturation and function of the thyroid gland to gain knowledge about the pathophysiology of thyroid disorder. Early diagnosis is important for normalization of thyroid hormone ratios. Furthermore, congenital hypothyroidism requires life-long management, so parents need to understand the importance of consistent administration of medication.

Care and treatment, Congenital hypothyroidism

---

Applying nuclear medicine to the early diagnosis of Inflammation

Article Abstract:

Nuclear medicine imaging allows early detection of initial physiological and pathological changes. Recent advances in the diagnosis of inflammatory processes have led to the development of specific radiopharmaceuticals that are intended to allow specific stage-related diagnosis.

Diagnosis, Inflammation, Nuclear medicine

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The management service company's expectation of the customer. The Joint Commission and quality patient outcomes: role of materiel management
• Abstracts: Five years and counting: the path to self-directed work teams. So you're the project leader: 10 roadblocks to watch out for
• Abstracts: Japanese Management: Implications for Healthcare Administration. A Proposal to Industrial Employers and Healthcare Providers: Unite and Prosper
• Abstracts: Managed care and the transformation of the medical rehabilitation industry. Medical knowledge overload: a disturbing trend for physicians
• Abstracts: Geographic aggregation of health data: a comparison of alternatives for 1990 and beyond. Shared data processing - a new approach

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.