This study was to classify elderly in long-term care hospitals for using Resource Utilization Group(RUG-III) and to consider feasibility of payment method based on RUG-III classification system in Korea.

This study designed by measuring resident characteristics using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set(RAI-MDS) and staff time. The data were collected from 382 elderly over sixty-year old, inpatient in the five long-term care hospitals. Staff time was converted into standard time based on the average wage of nurse and aids.

The subjects were classified into 4 groups. The group of Clinically Complex was the largest(46.3%), Reduced Physical Function(27.2%), Behavior Problem(17.0%), and Impaired Cognition(9.4%). The average resource use for one resident in terms of care time(nurses, aids) was 183.7 minutes a day. Relative resource use was expressed as a case mix index(CMI) calculated as a proportion of mean resource use. The CMI of Clinically Complex group was the largest(1.10), and then Reduced Physical Function(0.93), Behavior Problem(0.93), and Impaired Cognition(0.83) followed. The difference of the resource use showed statistical significance between major groups(p<0.0001).

The results of this study showed that the RUG-III classification system differentiates resources provided to elderly in long-term care hospitals in Korea.