Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35275063›Full record

ArticleJMIR medical informatics2022

Improving the Prediction of Persistent High Health Care Utilizers: Retrospective Analysis Using Ensemble Methodology.

Stephanie N Howson, Michael J McShea, Raghav Ramachandran, Howard S Burkom, Hsien-Yen Chang, Jonathan P Weiner, Hadi Kharrazi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR medical informatics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Long-term follow-up of children who received rapid genomic sequencing.Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Stephanie N HowsonApplied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2854-6243
Michael J McSheaApplied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5110-1758
Raghav RamachandranApplied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8845-8950
Howard S BurkomApplied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0667-9467
Hsien-Yen ChangCenter for Population Health Information Technology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7997-4822
Jonathan P WeinerCenter for Population Health Information Technology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8299-3995
Hadi KharraziCenter for Population Health Information Technology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-4323

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA small proportion of high-need patients persistently use the bulk of health care services and incur disproportionate costs. Population health management (PHM) programs often refer to these patients as persistent high utilizers (PHUs). Accurate PHU prediction enables PHM programs to better align scarce health care resources with high-need PHUs while generally improving outcomes. While prior research in PHU prediction has shown promise, traditional regression methods used in these studies have yielded limited accuracy.

objectiveWe are seeking to improve PHU predictions with an ensemble approach in a retrospective observational study design using insurance claim records.

methodsWe defined a PHU as a patient with health care costs in the top 20% of all patients for 4 consecutive 6-month periods. We used 2013 claims data to predict PHU status in next 24 months. Our study population included 165,595 patients in the Johns Hopkins Health Care plan, with 8359 (5.1%) patients identified as PHUs in 2014 and 2015. We assessed the performance of several standalone machine learning methods and then an ensemble approach combining multiple models.

resultsThe candidate ensemble with complement naïve Bayes and random forest layers produced increased sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV; 49.0% and 50.3%, respectively) compared to logistic regression (46.8% and 46.1%, respectively).

conclusionsOur results suggest that ensemble machine learning can improve prediction of care management needs. Improved PPV implies reduced incorrect referral of low-risk patients. With the improved sensitivity/PPV balance of this approach, resources may be directed more efficiently to patients needing them most.

Indexed as

ensemble methodologymachine learningobservationalpersistent high utilizerspopulation health analyticspredictionretrospectiveutilization

Identifiers

PMID35275063
PMCPMC8990371

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.