Preparing for case mix: The role of data processing

Powerful new computing technologies are having an immense influence on healthcare management and regulation. The ability to analyze huge amounts of data and develop historical trends and correlations has made it possible for the government and society to explain increases in healthcare costs as a function of changing technology, increased utilization, changing case mix, and inflation, and to observe the relationships among these variables. This technology has also made possible the development of case-mix systems such as diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and it makes the implementation of case-mix-based reimbursement inevitable. Computing technology may aid in the resolution of some of the healthcare industry's problems and may move the hospital field into a fascinating and challenging new age.