Communications Medicine: Multiple sclerosis risk stratification and healthcare cost prediction using machine learning

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a lifelong illness that can cause disability and is expensive to treat. Care teams need better ways to identify patients who may face serious problems and higher medical costs in the near future. This study used machine learning, a type of computer analysis, to find patterns in de-identified health insurance records from people with MS. The models predicted who would likely need the most care and have the highest costs in the next few months. They performed better than simply checking past spending. If refined and tested in clinics, this approach could help providers reach out earlier, improve care, and reduce unnecessary healthcare costs.

Read the full article at www.nature.com