Risk-Adjusted Models of Costs Referable to General Practitioners Based on Administrative Databases in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Northern Italy

Objective: To develop risk adjustment models for cost evaluation in primary health care in Italy based on administrative databases. Setting: The 2007 administrative databases from the National Health Service of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region were the data source. Data referred to the general population and included information on the use of health services (inpatient, outpatient, medication, home care) as well as on the major chronic health problems. Data included persons who, for their health condition, must not pay the contribution usually required for using health services (ticket exemption). Design: Multilevel (multivariate) statistical analysis, where the tariff of services or the price of drugs (both summed up and separated) were the dependent variables, and the health conditions and other variables related to the citizens were the predictive variables.