Case Mix Index

Case Mix Index (CMI) is a relative value assigned to a diagnosis-related group of patients in a medical care environment. The CMI is used in hospitals to identify the relative cost associated with the average level of services provided to all patients.

Overview

The Case Mix Index is a standard method used in healthcare management to allocate resources, manage healthcare costs, and measure the overall severity of illness in a hospital. It is calculated by dividing the sum of all Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) relative weights by the total number of patients in the group.

Calculation

The calculation of the Case Mix Index involves several steps. First, each patient is assigned to a DRG. Each DRG has a relative weight, which is a measure of the resources needed to treat patients in that group compared to the resources needed to treat patients in other groups. The sum of these relative weights is then divided by the total number of patients to obtain the CMI.

Use in Healthcare Management

The Case Mix Index is used in several ways in healthcare management. It is used to compare the relative cost of care across different hospitals or departments within a hospital. It is also used to predict future healthcare costs and to allocate resources within a hospital. In addition, the CMI is used to measure the severity of illness in a hospital, which can be useful in comparing outcomes across different hospitals.

Limitations

While the Case Mix Index is a useful tool in healthcare management, it has several limitations. It is based on the average cost of care, which may not accurately reflect the cost of care for individual patients. In addition, the CMI does not take into account the quality of care provided, which can vary significantly across different hospitals.

See Also

• Diagnosis-Related Group
• Healthcare Management
• Healthcare Costs