Method, system, and computer program product for physician efficiency measurement and patient health risk stratification utilizing variable windows for episode creation

• US 8,340,981 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cave Consulting Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Cave Consulting Group LLC
• Inventors: Cave, Douglas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHNG, JOY POH AI
• Application Number:
  US13/012,219
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for measuring physician efficiency and patient health risk stratification is disclosed. Episodes of care are formed from medical claims data and an output process is performed. Physicians are assigned to report groups, and eligible physicians and episode assignments are determined. Condition-specific episode statistics and weighted episode statistics are calculated, from which physician efficiency scores are determined.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computer system of determining physician efficiency, the method comprising:

obtaining medical claims data stored in a computer readable medium on the computer system;

performing patient analysis using said obtained medical claims data to form episodes of care utilizing the computer system;

performing output process based on performed patient analysis utilizing the computer system, the output process comprising;

assigning episodes of care to physicians utilizing an assignment rule that allows assignment of an episode of care to more than one physician; and

applying a first maximum duration rule that utilizes at least one of a set consisting of static window periods and variable window periods to identify episodes of care;

assigning at least one physician to a report group utilizing the computer system, each physician assigned to no more than one report group;

determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments utilizing the computer system comprising;

eliminating episode of care assignments to physicians not meeting a selected criterion for the report group of interest;

calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics utilizing the computer system;

calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing the computer system; and

determining efficiency scores for physicians from said calculated condition-specific episode of care statistics and said episode of care statistics calculated across medical conditions utilizing the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics comprises calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics for physicians in the report group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics comprises calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics for peer groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of calculating episode of care statistics comprises calculating peer group weighted episode of care statistics across medical conditions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of calculating episode of care statistics comprises calculating physician weighted episode of care statistics across medical conditions.

6. The method in claim 1 wherein the output process further comprises:

eliminating partial episodes of care.

7. The method in claim 1 wherein the output process further comprises:

eliminating episodes of care marked with comorbidities.

8. The method in claim 1 wherein the output process further comprises:

grouping claim line items in episodes of care to service categories.

9. The method in claim 1 wherein determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments further comprises:

eliminating physicians from the report group, said eliminated physicians having specialties that are not assigned to a grouping of medical conditions that account for some episodes of care treated by a physician having a specific specialty type.

10. The method in claim 1 wherein calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizes a predefined set of medical conditions for a specific specialty type.

11. A non-transitory computer program product tangibly embodied in computer instructions in a computer readable medium which, when the computer instructions are executed by a computer, determines physician efficiency, by performing the acts of:

obtaining medical claims data stored in a computer readable medium stored on the computer;

performing patient analysis using said obtained medical claims data to form episodes of care;

performing output process based on performed patient analysis, the output process comprising;

assigning episodes of care to physicians utilizing an assignment rule that allows assignment of an episode of care to more than one physician; and

applying a first maximum duration rule that utilizes at least one of a set consisting of static window periods and variable window periods to identify episodes of care;

assigning at least one physician to a report group;

determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments comprising;

eliminating episode of care assignments to physicians not meeting a selected criterion for the report group of interest;

calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics;

calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions; and

determining efficiency scores for physicians from said calculated condition-specific episode of care statistics and said episode of care statistics calculated across medical conditions.

12. A computer implemented system for determining physician efficiency, the system comprising:

a computer software implemented means for obtaining medical claims data;

a means for storing the obtained medical claims data in a computer readable format on the computer implemented system;

a computer software implemented means for performing patient analysis using said obtained medical claims data to form episodes of care;

a computer software implemented means for performing output process based on performed patient analysis, the output process comprising;

assigning episodes of care to physicians utilizing an assignment rule that allows assignment of an episode of care to more than one physician; and

applying a first maximum duration rule that utilizes at least one of a set consisting of static window periods and variable window periods to identify episodes of care;

a computer software implemented means for assigning at least one physician to a report group;

a computer software implemented means for determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments comprising;

eliminating episode of care assignments to physicians not meeting a selected criterion for the report group of interest;

a computer software implemented means for calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics;

a computer software implemented means for calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions; and

a computer software implemented means for determining efficiency scores for physicians from said calculated condition-specific episode of care statistics and said episode of care statistics calculated across medical conditions.

13. A method implemented on a computer system of determining physician efficiency, the method comprising:

obtaining medical claims data stored in a computer readable medium on the computer system;

performing patient analysis using said obtained medical claims data to form episodes of care utilizing the computer system;

performing output process based on performed patient analysis utilizing the computer system, the output process comprising;

assigning episodes of care to physicians; and

applying a first maximum duration rule utilizing at least one of a set consisting of static window periods and variable window periods episodes of care;

assigning at least one physician to a report group utilizing the computer system;

determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments utilizing the computer system;

calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics utilizing the computer system;

calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing a predefined set of medical conditions for a specific specialty type utilizing the computer system; and

determining efficiency scores for physicians from said calculated condition-specific episode of care statistics and said episode of care statistics calculated across medical conditions utilizing the computer system.

14. The method in claim 13 wherein:

the calculating of episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizes indirect standardization.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said act of calculating episode of care statistics comprises calculating peer group weighted episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing indirect standardization.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said act of calculating episode of care statistics comprises calculating physician weighted episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing indirect standardization.

17. The method in claim 13 wherein:

the calculating of episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizes direct standardization.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of calculating episode of care statistics comprises calculating peer group weighted episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing direct standardization.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of calculating episode of care statistics comprises calculating physician weighted episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing direct standardization.

20. A non-transitory computer program product tangibly embodied in computer instructions in a computer readable medium which, when the computer instructions are executed by a computer,

determines physician efficiency, by performing the acts of:

obtaining medical claims data stored in a computer readable medium on the computer system;

performing patient analysis using said obtained medical claims data to form episodes of care utilizing the computer system;

performing output process based on performed patient analysis utilizing the computer system, the output process comprising;

assigning episodes of care to physicians; and

applying a first maximum duration rule utilizing at least one of a set consisting of static window periods and variable window periods to identify episodes of care;

assigning at least one physician to a report group utilizing the computer system;

determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments utilizing the computer system;

calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics utilizing the computer system;

calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing a predefined set of medical conditions for a specific specialty type utilizing the computer system; and

determining efficiency scores for physicians from said calculated condition-specific episode of care statistics and said episode of care statistics calculated across medical conditions utilizing the computer system.

21. A computer implemented system for determining physician efficiency, the system comprising:

a computer software implemented means for obtaining medical claims data stored in a computer readable medium on the computer system;

a computer software implemented means for performing patient analysis using said obtained medical claims data to form episodes of care utilizing the computer system;

a computer software implemented means for performing output process based on performed patient analysis utilizing the computer system, the output process comprising;

assigning episodes of care to physicians; and

applying a first maximum duration rule utilizing at least one of a set consisting of static window periods and variable window periods to identify episodes of care;

a computer software implemented means for assigning at least one physician to a report group utilizing the computer system;

a computer software implemented means for determining eligible physicians and episode of care assignments utilizing the computer system;

a computer software implemented means for calculating condition-specific episode of care statistics utilizing the computer system;

a computer software implemented means for calculating episode of care statistics across medical conditions utilizing a predefined set of medical conditions for a specific specialty type utilizing the computer system; and

a computer software implemented means for determining efficiency scores for physicians from said calculated condition-specific episode of care statistics and said episode of care statistics calculated across medical conditions utilizing the computer system.