Severity of Illness and Diagnostic Formulation: Classifying Patients for Prospective Payment Systems
Juan E. Mezzich M.D.,Ph.D.1 and
Steven S. Sharfstein M.D.2
1 Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
2 The American Psychiatric Association
The authors review several methods for enhancing the clinical utility of psychiatric diagnostic formulations and their value in predicting resource consumption. They suggest incorporating the concept of severity of illness in a comprehensive diagnostic formulation, using an extended coding schema that includes a rating of severity. Other modifications of DSM-III axes are proposed.
