Using endoscopic procedures for AN-DRG (Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups) assignment: Australia leads the...

The study reported in this article sought to develop Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups (AN-DRGs) using endoscopic procedures in Major Diagnostic Category (MDC) 6 (Digestive System) and MDC 7 (Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas) through statistical analysis of the Australian Casemix Clinical Committee's recommendations. Five ANOVA were undertaken on final recommendations for gastroscopy and colonoscopy in MDC 6. The Reduction in Variance (RIV) for the AN-DRGs in version 3 relative to version 2 increased by up to 14.6%, representing RIV of between 25.28% to 32.30%. For all ANOVAs, F > 100, alpha < .0001, Coefficient of Variation (CV) was generally lower in version 3 by between 0.4% to 22.9%, except for AN-DRGs for other gastroscopy for major gastro-intestinal disease, which increased by 8.7%. Two ANOVA for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-pancreatography Procedures (ERCP) recommendations resulted in RIV of up to 18.67%, F > 100, alpha < .0001 and CV up to 0.8091. MDC 6, in AN-DRG versions 3 and 3.1, has 11 AN-DRGs following the surgical hierarchy involving gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Patients assigned will not have an operating room procedure; they will have a non-operating room procedure that is either a complex therapeutic or other (diagnostic or therapeutic) procedure. Similar AN-DRGs are in MDC 7 for ERCP. Version 3.1 has expanded the definition of Common Bile Duct Exploration (CDE) to include ERCP. There is no separate AN-DRG for laparoscopy cholecystectomy.