1. A method in a computing environment for effecting a statistical assessment of mortality-predictive patterns in longitudinal timeseries data from individual persons admitted to hospital-based intensive care, the method comprising the steps of: accessing mortality-predictive serial data received from a plurality of scores; performing spectral analysis; calculating a Lyapunov exponent, and if the Lyapunov exponent is negative, outputting values for the exponent for at least one point in time in the timeseries so that the outcome for the individual person may be predicted.