Burden of Care: New Data-Driven Measure for Quantifying Healthcare Load

Noam Prinz, M.Sc. student in the School of Industrial & Intelligent Systems Engineering

Advisor: Dr. Reut Noham

Abstract:

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer impose a continuous and substantial strain on both patients and healthcare systems. Recognizing that patients’ interactions with healthcare services contain valuable signals beyond their clinical profiles, this research introduces the Burden of Care (BoC) measure, a quantitative framework capturing the overall intensity and dynamics of healthcare utilization among individuals over time.

Using real-world data from Maccabi Healthcare Services, which includes detailed records of patients with chronic conditions, we develop and validate the Burden of Care (BoC) measure to ensure both clinical interpretability and predictive value. Through a data-driven temporal analysis we examine how the evaluation of BoC - its levels, variability, and local trajectories - correlates with key outcomes such as hospitalizations. These insights highlight how specific trends in patient burden may serve as early indicators of future risk.

Ultimately, the study aims to support proactive care strategies that enable earlier identification of high-risk patients, reduce preventable hospitalizations, and improve overall continuity and quality of care.

Bio:

Noam Prinz is an M.Sc. student in the School of Industrial and Intelligent Systems Engineering at Tel Aviv University, supervised by Dr. Reut Noham at HOPE (Healthcare and Humanitarian Operations) Lab. His interdisciplinary research, conducted in collaboration with Sara Kivity, a Ph.D. student from the Faculty of Medicine, focuses on chronic disease management and examines how healthcare utilization patterns relate to treatment responsiveness and emergency care. Noam holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics with Statistics and Operations Research from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.