ABSTRACT
Objective To formulate genuine case mix plans using medical record information available in China. Methods An account was given of the research background of case mix studies, the current status of the studies and applications at home and abroad, the case mix model for measuring medical "output", data sources and statistical methods of classification. Results Case mix plans for army inpatients, civilian inpatients and outpatients were respectively formulated, and software for calculating the case mix index of a hospital which can run on Windows 95/98 computer systems was developed. Conclusion The theoretical, methodological and data conditions necessary for the formulation of case mix plans based on the first pages of medical records in China are now ripe and the case mix plans formulated on the basis of data from large samples can now be used for the control of medical costs, the assessment of a hospital's medical "output" and the estimation of the financial compensations for hospitals.