Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the INTELLIMED FAQ Sheet. This page contains answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that we receive. Do you have a question that is not on this list?? We will be frequently updating this area, so please submit your question.

This document may be printed for later reference.

What is the difference between a stand-alone version and a network version of The INTELLIMED System?
The INTELLIMED System for Windows is capable of running in both stand alone mode or over a network. The only differences between the two versions lie in the back-end aspect of our software. For a stand alone workstation, a run-time version of Sybase’s SQL Anywhere (formally Watcom) resides in the background. A network installation requires the full SQL Anywhere engine that is available in four, eight, sixteen, or unlimited user quantities installed on a server.

In making a decision for what best suits your needs, please keep in mind the following:

  • The specifications for a workstation on either a network or a stand alone are the same (see spec sheet).
  • A network install will require a minimum allocation of network resources dedicated to the INTELLIMED System.
  • The INTELLIMED System is capable of residing in a Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server environment.


The INTELLIMED System is a resource intensive application. If your needs necessitate putting it on a network server that also houses your task applications (such as MS Word or Lotus 1-2-3), you will notice a vast difference in performance. However, if you are able to allocate a dedicated server to the INTELLIMED system, you will notice very favorable results over a stand alone workstation.

INTELLIMED recommends a stand alone workstation in those cases in which network resources are limited.
What are your System Requirements?
See our Single User or Client Server Requirments pages
What is a Refined DRG (RDRG)?
"Refined DRGs" were developed by the Health Systems Management Group at Yale University in a three year project funded by the Health Care Financing Administration. Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) have undergone several revisions since their inital development in the late 1960's and implementation by Medicare reimbursement in 1983. These enhancements have considerably improved the systems ability to measure more precisely the complexity of a hospital's case mix. However, concerns that DRGs do not adequately account for the severity of a patient's illness have brought about the development of other forms of severity adjustment, most notably RDRGs. In the RDRG system, DRGs have been refined to account for severity of illness. In Refined DRGs, patients are grouped into Refinement Classes based on secondary diagnoses comorbidities and complications. Each class represents a different utilization for a given principal diagnosis or surgical procedure.

Briefly, inpatient cases are assigned an RDRG as follows:
  1. Patients are first assigned to one of 23 Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs) based on their principal diagnosis.
  2. Patients with temporary Tracheostomy are isolated and not considered further.
  3. Remaining patients are categorires.
  4. Medical patients who expire within 2 days are separated and not considered further.
  5. Patients are then categorized into medical and surgical subgroups referred to as "Adjacent DRGs" (ADRGs). ADRGs are three digit codes which roughly correspond to original DRGs.
  6. Patients within each ADRG are divided into refined groups based on secondary diagnoses. The refinement groups are added to the ADRG as a fourth digit, comprising the RDRG.

As an example, the ADRG of 106 would be divided into RDRGs 1060, 1061, 1062, and 1063 based on the level of severity of the patient. Below is a summary of the refinement classes for medical and surgical cases.

Refinement DigitMedical DescriptionSurgical Description
0Minor/No EffectMinor/No Effect
1ModerateModerate
2MajorMajor
3N/ACatastophic

What is the Resource Mix Index
On the INTELLIMED Utilization Report and the INTELLIMED Variance Report is a column for "Resource Mix Index". The "Resource Mix Index" is the same concept as the HCFA case mix index except that we use Refined DRG (RDRG) or All Patient Refined-DRG (APR-DRG) classifications rather that DRGs. As a result, INTELLIMED must develop a weight for each RDRG or APR-DRG classification using the state discharge data set.

These weights are developed as follows:
  1. Begin with the full state discharge data set for one release period.
  2. Assign a RDRG or APR-DRG classification to each case.
  3. Designate and remove outliers.
  4. Calc
  5. Calculate average charge per case for each RDRG or APR-DRG classification.
  6. Divide average charge per case for each RDRG or APR-DRG classification by average charge per case for entire inlier data set (Item 5/4).
For example:
If the average charge across all types of cases was $10,000 and the average charge for APR-DRG 0010 was $33,000, the weight for APR-DRG 0010 would be 3.300. The "Resource Mix Index" is the weighted average for the group of cases selected.
How does INTELLIMED designate Outliers?
The following categories of outliers have been created to provide a more homogenous table of records with which to make comparisons. Designated Hospitals: Typically those which have charge structures not comparabecialty hospitals).
  1. Ungroupable records with ADRG codes of 468, 469, 470, 476, or 477.
  2. Patient status shows that patient was transferred to another short-term facility
  3. Any RDRG/APR-DRG with less than five discharges in a discharge table.
  4. Low per diem designated by those with charges less than or equal to $300.00 excluding Neonatal patients.
  5. Extreme Cases: We have developed a proprietary statistical analysis based on Health Systems Consultants’ methodology to identify extreme cases.

How is the Surgical complication rate determined?
The Surgical Complication Rate was calculated with ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes and DRGs. ICD-9-CM Surgical complication code as a secondary diagnosisSurgical DRG

Surgical complication codes are ICD-9-CM diagnoses codes that could have occurred as a direct result of surgery.
If my state does not collect outpatient data, is there still a way in which I can utilize INTELLIMED’s outpatient module?
Yes!! See the INTELLIMED Outpatient Module

What Departments do your INTELLIMED users come from?
There are several different departments that benefit from using The Intellimed System. Among them are the following: Medical Directors,
  • Business Development,
  • Strategic Planning,
  • Managed Care,
  • Quality Management,
  • Physician Relations,
  • CEOs,
  • CFOs,
  • Information Systems,
  • and Marketing
just to name a few.

Copyright INTELLIMED 2005