Patent ID: 7542913

Claim:
A method of improving health and reducing healthcare encounter trends, comprising the steps of: presenting an individual with a questionnaire designed to elicit said individual's response to each distinct predictive factor of a predetermined set of predictive factors, said predetermined set of predictive factors including domains of functional ability, adherence with current medical treatment, numbers of uses of various healthcare services over past time periods, beliefs in the safety and value of healthcare services, healthcare partnering preferences and information-seeking preferences; collecting self-reported information from said individual about their perceived health wherein said self-reported information comprises said individual's response to each said distinct predictive factor of said predetermined set of predictive factors; assigning, based upon said individual's response, a dichotomous value to each said distinct predictive factor of said predetermined set of predictive factors; calculating, based upon a predetermined predictive model and said dichotomous values assigned to said predetermined set of predictive factors, a probability value of said individual becoming a high-encounter user of healthcare services for any reason within a prospective time span, wherein a high-encounter user makes high use of inpatient, outpatient, emergency room, or physician office healthcare services, and wherein said calculating is accomplished using a computing device having a processor; and identifying said individual as a probable high-encounter user of healthcare services within said prospective time span if said probability value of said individual exceeds a predetermined threshold.