Which of the following is a common risk stratification model among the listed options?

• A. APACHE II
• B. MELD Score
• C. Braden Scale
• D. Minnesota Tiering

Answer: (D)

Risk stratification in healthcare is about grouping patients by their estimated risk of adverse outcomes so that care and resources can be targeted where they’re most needed. Among the options, Minnesota Tiering is the common framework used for this purpose in many care-management contexts. It categorizes patients into tiers (high, medium, low) to tailor the intensity of outreach, monitoring, and services, which is the essence of risk stratification—allocating effort based on predicted needs.

The other tools have narrower or different purposes. APACHE II estimates mortality risk specifically for ICU patients, not general population risk or resource planning. MELD score assesses liver disease severity to prioritize transplant candidates, again a disease-focused severity measure rather than broad risk stratification for care management. The Braden Scale evaluates the risk of developing pressure ulcers, which is a specific clinical risk assessment rather than a framework for stratifying overall patient risk to guide care delivery.