What measurement can a hospital use to monitor its performance under the MS-DRG system?

The case-mix index is a critical measurement for hospitals operating under the MS-DRG (Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group) system. This index reflects the diversity and complexity of cases treated by the hospital, providing insight into the relative weight of the patient population. It is derived from the diagnoses and procedures coded for inpatient admissions, which directly impact reimbursement rates.

By monitoring the case-mix index, hospitals can assess how well they manage different types of patients and how this relates to their financial performance and resource utilization. A higher case-mix index indicates that a hospital is treating a more complex patient population, which usually corresponds to higher reimbursement, whereas a lower index might suggest a less complex population and potentially lower reimbursement.

In contrast, patient satisfaction scores, emergency room wait times, and bed occupancy rates, while valuable indicators of hospital performance, do not directly correlate to the financial aspects of the MS-DRG system. These metrics provide insights into operational efficiency and patient experience, but they do not influence reimbursement structures under the MS-DRG methodology. Therefore, the case-mix index is the most relevant measure in this context for evaluating performance related to the MS-DRG system.