Determining the morbidity profile, health-service utilization and health-provider efficiency in the Rejang River Basin, Sarawak, based on TPC® data and the Johns Hopkins ACG® System

Introduction The study focused on the application of case-mix in remote regions of the Rejang River basin of the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, to improve the delivery of health care for these less-accessible populations. The aim of this project was to determine the benefits of applying the ACG® System on available Teleprimary Care® (TPC) data from multiple primary health-care providers in remote regions of Sarawak, Malaysia, to gain a better understanding of the differences in morbidity burden and resource need by various population sub-groups, as compared to those in less-remote settings. It also focused on how the ACG® System could assist to identify “high-risk” patients, allowing for more targeted interventions, and highlighted how the results established a fairer basis upon which to assess provider performance. In addition, it facilitated profiling on a regional basis to improve efficiency in the delivery of primary health care in these remote regions.