AHRQ Service Line Groupers
What are AHRQ service line groupers?
AHRQ service line groupers are a type of procedure-based grouping developed through a partnership with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The goal of this type of grouper is to assess clinical quality and assist decision-making at community, state, and national levels.
Service lines refer to the care provided to patients of a specific cohort, such as cancer patients, women, children, etc. They may focus on patient attributes such as age or gender, a particular disease, or qualities of population health such as demographics or social determinants of health.
Procedure-based groupings are the most popular type of service line grouping because they directly relate to the services a health system provides and those for which they are reimbursed. With an AHRQ service line grouper, groupings are made based on the diagnosis received or procedure undergone.
What are the benefits of AHRQ service line groupers?
AHRQ service line grouping creates groups based on diagnosis or procedure, allowing a facility to better analyze the care received for one specific condition, no matter the patient’s characteristics. This provides insights into the disease itself, such as the procedures received following diagnosis, or a procedure’s success.
AHRQ service line grouping also allows a facility to analyze the revenues and expenses of a specific diagnosis or procedure.