Disease risk rule analysis of the New Rural Cooperative Medical System

Objective: With data drawn from Beijing´s New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS), the disease risk association rules of participating rural residents is studied in terms of risk factors and risk measures, and the rule characteristics of Beijing´s NRCMS disease risks are mined therefrom. Methodology: The association rule algorithm is utilized to recover both potentially valuable knowledge and decision-making information from NRCMS data. Results: The main objects of healthcare in Beijing from 2013 to 2014 include: circulatory diseases in patients 41 years of age or older, pediatric respiratory disease prevention, reproductive health care for women of childbearing age, and the prevention and treatment of diabetes in female patients; in county-level hospitals with a relatively low average level of consumption, injuries still resulted in high expenses; the primary post-NRCMS reimbursement level-3 and level-4 high-risk groups were patients of 41-65 years of age. Conclusion: According to the ranking of rule supports, the highest support rule in Beijing is that of the circulatory diseases of middle-aged patients, especially patients that are hospitalized in county-level medical institutions; the second highest support comes from the utilization of fertility services for women of childbearing age. Suggestions: It is recommended that rule support rankings be combined and that the initiative be taken to implement major prevention and healthcare services, lower disease risk factors, control NRCMS reimbursement costs, promote the sustainable development of NRCMS, adopt a classified management of mined rules, and establish a decision-making knowledge base.