Predicting patient resource needs: A methodology for ambulatory care

The purpose of this paper is to present the application of the a priori Resource-based Classification Methodology (APRCM) at a secondary/tertiary clinic in the specialized ambulatory care setting of low vision. APRCM is an aggregate planning tool for application in the health care sector at the micro (clinic) level for predicting the expected patient resource utilization. It applies clustering and several classification/assignment techniques on a clinic's patient discharge data to develop a system that, on the basis of information available prior to a patient receiving health care service, predicts the clinic resources that a patient would utilize on the appointment date. We demonstrate that APRCM significantly improves the accuracy with which a patient's expected resource demands can be predicted.