An analysis of standardized disease classification system for health care planning.

This paper deals with the development of the standardized disease classification system, which generates usable statistics for comprehensive health care planning. It is used by ARCH (a regional health planning agency) to obtain a measure of acute hospital utilization and regional health status. A sample of 35,000 patients discharged from 39 acute-care facilities in the St. Louis bistate region was examined and tested. The existing disease classification systems (three versions of ICD and SNDO) were converted into the standardized system. Its application results in a better conceptualization of current health problems. It aids in the formulation and monitoring of health problems.