The computerized severity index (CSI) system, an intelligent decision
support system (DSS), is now used as a management tool at a growing nu
mber of hospitals in the US and Canada. The CSI expertly determines th
e severity level of a patient's illness and enables hospital managemen
t to more effectively evaluate the utilization of health care resource
s and the outcome of treatments. We developed CSI methodology as a com
plement to the diagnosis related groups (DRG) system that is mandated
by federal law. While DRGs enable reimbursement agencies to classify p
atients into groups by type of illness and define hospitals' products,
health care managers need a more refined classification system to com
pare the quality and economic efficiency of different treatment protoc
ols, different physicians, and different hospitals.