what is risk stratification

Risk stratification is a technique for systematically categorizing patients based on their health status and other factors. It allows for risk-stratified care management, in which practices manage patients based on their assigned risk level to make better use of limited resources, anticipate needs, and more proactively manage their patient population. Risk stratification helps practices to better focus on their sickest patients, reduce costs, and improve care. The process of risk stratification involves assigning patients to different risk categories based on their health status and other objective and subjective factors. This allows clinicians to allocate limited resources to the patients who need them most and to provide real-time decision making. Risk stratification can be used in various healthcare settings, such as primary care, surgery, and population health management. The benefits of risk stratification include prioritizing patients with the highest level of risk and allocating resources accordingly for each level.