(charl′sŏn )
[Mary E. Charlson, contemporary U.S. internist and epidemiologist]
A prognostic tool that estimates the likelihood that a person with particular illnesses will survive for a specified number of years. The index, which takes into account the patient's age and illnesses such as heart, lung, endocrine, kidney, or blood disorders, can also be used to estimate the resource utilization of patients with a variety of chronic diseases.