Study on the measurement and application of diagnostic and treatment difficulty in disease categories / 中国卫生政策研究

ABSTRACT

This study delineated the conceptual framework of Diagnostic and Treatment Difficulty(DTD)for disease categories for the first time and calculated the coefficient by utilizing disease occurrence probability,average total cost,and cure/improvement rate.The study employed the 2017 data from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance in seven counties or districts to assess the DTD coefficient of inpatient disease categories.It also generated a distribution chart and fitted curve illustrating the relationship between the number of cases and DTD coefficient,in line with disease occurrence patterns.A paired sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed on the DTD coefficient of the same disease categories calculated for two sample counties,yielding non-significant results(p =0.73).This suggests that the algorithm is robust and effectively portrays the occurrence and distribution patterns of disease categories.The measurement results can be utilized to define the scope of disease categories in healthcare institutions and characterize healthcare service supply and demand behavior.However,it's worth noting potential limitations,including a reliance on sample size and subjectivity in weight determination.