Predicting future hospital utilization for mental health conditions

J Behav Health Serv Res. 2007 Jan;34(1):34-42. doi: 10.1007/s11414-006-9044-0. Epub 2006 Dec 12.

Abstract

To develop a model using administrative variables to predict number of days in the hospital for a mental health condition in the year after discharge from a mental health hospitalization. Background, index hospitalization and preindex inpatient, emergency room, and outpatient utilization information were collected for 766 adult members discharged from a mental health hospitalization during a 1-year period. A regression model was developed to predict hospitalized days for a mental health condition in the year after discharge. A regression model was created containing five statistically significant predictors: Medicare insurance coverage, preindex mental health inpatient days, index length of stay, depression diagnosis, and number of mental health outpatient visits with a professional provider. It is possible to predict future mental health inpatient utilization at the time of discharge from a mental health hospitalization using administrative data, thus allowing disease managers to better identify members in greatest need of additional services and interventions.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aftercare / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Forecasting
  • Health Maintenance Organizations
  • Hospitals, Psychiatric / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / economics
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • New York
  • Patient Readmission / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychiatric Department, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Utilization Review / statistics & numerical data*