Blog: Patient care profiles
The case-mix information system of the AMC
The Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam started in 2006 with the design and implementation of a case-mix information system (CMI). The aim was to support (medical) managers at making strategic and tactical decisions by providing them more and better information, because they play an important role in decisions such as who and how is treated, and thus have an important influence on the costs and quality of care. In 2013 the CMI was finished and consists of a set of information products like standard reports, portfolio analysis, data cubes and benchmark analyses. The CMI contains a large number of information about the (groups of) patients, like diagnosis, medical procedures, patient characteristics, process, finance and healthcare market. In total, more than 500 users have access to the CMI.
The CMI was iteratively designed and implemented in close cooperation with the users. During this period (scientific) research has been done on the adoption, use and effects of use of the CMI.
The CMI has contributed to active dialogues about portfolio, both at corporate and department level resulting in clear policy decisions about volumes and mix of patient groups. As a result, the share of tertiary referral patients has increased, and the share of basic care patients has decreased. Furthermore, based on the CMI, several actions have been undertaken to optimize the care processes, resulting in the decrease in the average length of stay, number of outpatient visits and reduction of unnecessary diagnostics and lab tests and thus in costs.