A system of patient classification in long-term psychiatric inpatients: Resource Utilization Groups T-18 (RUG T-18)

This paper shows the application of a 'case mix' system (Resources Utilization Groups T18 or RUG-T18) to a Spanish long-term inpatient psychiatric sample.

To examine the capacity of RUG-T18 to predict patient resource use (spent time of care) in a long-term psychiatric sample.

Data included an assessment of 163 patients' characteristics, corresponding to groups of the RUG-T18, and detailed measurement of nursing staff care over a 24-h period.

'Severe behavioural problems' was the most frequent RUG-T18 category. There were significant differences in the spent time of care in the different groups and high variability in the distribution of time of care within groups and in the total sample.

The RUG T-18 system should be improved to become a useful case mix system in long-term psychiatric inpatients. The high variance intragroups could be minimized improving the psychopathological aspects of the system.