Newsletter March 2024

A summary of the latest information on the activities of the CKS DRG.

Methodology for calculating the PCCL

In collaboration with the grouper suppliers, we have standardised the methodology for calculating the PCCL for 2024. There has been a precise definition of the process for excluding diagnoses from each other's calculations on the basis of their similarity. The ranking and ordering of diagnoses is very important in the process of culling diagnoses, and there was no fixed order for diagnoses with the same CCL value. Under the new methodology, diagnoses are ranked according to a number of keys, with the final ranking always fixed. This makes the subsequent process of culling and PCCL calculation uniform.

Certification training

The Classification System in Healthcare certification training programme is NOW OPEN at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University, which has already opened applications. Health professions - doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife, physiotherapist, physiotherapist, public health worker, laboratory diagnostician, radiology technician, medical laboratory technician - can apply for the training so far. The course is primarily focused on the correct reporting of hospital cases, but participants will learn a comprehensive understanding of the entire DRG system. The 1st course starts in April, lasts 6 months and is completed with a certification exam. CKS is further working to open the training to non-medical staff as well.

Access to inclusion of new medicines in the SK-DRG 2025 system

The Steering Committee approved an approach for inclusion of new medicines in SK-DRG 2025 based on the principle of evaluating the cost-effectiveness of a medicine in the conditions of the Slovak Republic. The detailed methodology will be published in Q2 2024.

Benchmarks

The following benchmarks are made available to providers on the CKS portal for 2022 annual dose data:

• Update Benchmarks published in Fall 2023 (for all hospitals)
• New Benchmarks with cost detail for SNS and SND (for hospitals that have successfully passed validations)

The files are available for download for logged in users in the "Portal/Benchmarks" section at the link: Portal Login | CKS DRG. A video recording of the workshop on working with benchmarks is available in the news section. For suggestions for improvement or questions, please contact us via email: cksdrg@health.gov.sk.

When using Benchmarks, it should be taken into account that the data contained in them should be viewed as stimuli for further analysis, not as ready-made facts. For example, a lower reported cost per hospital admission may not only be due to greater efficiency, but also to incorrect allocation of staff time, inadequate recording of direct drug consumption per patient, or for many other reasons.

Workshop on DRG time allocation

An online seminar on DRG allocation of occupancy was held on 28.2.2024 to improve the quality of data in the DRG annual batch for 2023. The recording of the seminar can be found here. The documents mentioned in the seminar that providers can use in their allocation of time allotments can be found on the CKS website in the education section. In the future, we plan to edit and improve this documentation based on your suggestions. These modifications will be listed at the end of the powerpoint document (also located on the CKS website in the education section).

The documents serve as supplementary material that aims to assist providers in allocating time allocations according to the costing guide. These are not binding documents, rather they are a way in which CKS would like to help individual PHCs to better process batch data.

Planned timetable and next dates

• The deadline for submitting suggestions for changes via feedback is 31.3.2023
• Validation and submission of the 2023 annual benefits are available on the CKD DRG portalfrom 1.3.2024. Thedeadline for submission of the regular annual benefit for 2023 is 30 .4.2024 (Act No. 578/2004 Coll.) and the deadline for submission of the corrective benefit is 30.6.2024 , in accordance with the legislation in force.
• We are preparing an update of the Calculation Manual with effect from 1.1.2025