What would you expect the RIW to be for Susie Sunshine after her scheduled hysterectomy was canceled due to pregnancy?

The correct answer is that the Resource Intensity Weight (RIW) would be lower than the typical RIW for Susie Sunshine after her scheduled hysterectomy was canceled due to her pregnancy.

When a procedure is canceled, it means that the associated resources and intensity of care that would typically be allocated for that surgery are no longer required. The RIW is designed to measure the expected resource consumption for a specific procedure or patient cohort. Since Susie will not undergo the hysterectomy, the expected resource usage will not be accounted for, which results in a lower RIW.

In a situation where a patient is pregnant and an elective surgery like a hysterectomy is not performed, her care needs may transition to prenatal care rather than surgical management. This shift generally involves less complex resource consumption compared to a surgical intervention, thereby influencing the RIW downwards. For patients with no procedures or further medical interventions resulting from the cancellation, the RIW reflects this lower engagement with healthcare resources.