A risk stratification tool for hospitalisation in Australia using primary care data.

Abstract

Predictive risk models using general practice (GP) data to predict the risk of hospitalisation have the potential to identify patients for targeted care. Effective use can help deliver significant reductions in the incidence of hospitalisation, particularly for patients with chronic conditions, the highest consumers of hospital resources. There are currently no published validated risk models for the Australian context using GP data to predict hospitalisation. In addition, published models for other contexts typically rely on a patient's history of prior hospitalisations, a field not commonly available in GP information systems, as a predictor. We present a predictive risk model developed fo..