Computer-implemented method for grouping medical claims into episode treatment groups
US7979290B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jul 12, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG16H70/40
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A computer-implemented method for profiling medical claims to assist health care managers in determining the cost-efficiency and service quality of health care providers. The method allows an objective means for measuring and quantifying health care services. An episode treatment group (ETG) is a patient classification unit, which defines groups that are clinically homogenous (similar cause of illness and treatment) and statistically stable. The ETG grouper methodology uses service or segment-level claim data as input data and assigns each service to the appropriate episode. The program identifies concurrent and recurrent episodes, flags records, creates new groupings, shifts groupings for changed conditions, selects the most recent claims, resets windows, makes a determination if the provider is an independent lab and continues to collect information until an absence of treatment is detected.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.