Educating clinicians to use casemix data for decision making

This paper provides an overview of casemix development and usage in Australia and reviews the process undertaken to design a graduate subject to educate clinicians and managers on the potential use of casemix data to support decision making. The aim of the subject is to enable hospital staff to identify critical casemix information needs, evaluate and select suitable software, analyze and interpret hospital input and output relationships using casemix based information systems, and use the results to establish decision support information requirements. The paper also describes the content and method of delivery of the new subject, available in several graduate programs and also through CQU's continuing education program. This work was undertaken to meet the objectives of a Commonwealth funded Casemix Study Grant.