Hospitals are being forced approach care from multiple angles as the demand for value-based care at reduced cost grows.
Using data to analyze the best approach to care is one way to do that. However, it takes training and management to leverage big data effectively. As meaningful use Stage 3 approaches, clinicians must focus on improved outcomes, and the use of healthcare analytics will become increasingly important. Logicalis U.S.A., an IT solutions and managed service provider, offers four pointers for CIOs to manage their data analytics tools.
1. Identify a type of data to target. Logicalis suggests focusing on answering a specific set of clinical and business questions with the data. Some types of analytics are more expensive than others, and crafting a strategic plan ahead of time can save effort and expense to the hospital through the trial and error process.
2. Establish data governance policies. Clearly outline a data management process, operational plan including roles for capturing and curating the data, and a governing body composed of clinical, administrative and IT stakeholders, according to Logicalis. Data governance policies should also be frequently revisited and updated.
3. Determine appropriate access to the data. Where is the data stored, who can access it and how will it be queried? These considerations are essential to security and accessibility of the database, Logicalis says.
4. Create data output in a useful format. Make sure the data is displayed and organized in a useful format to the clinician, who is ultimately using it. Logicalis suggests establishing a regular review process with the clinician to gather reports of usefulness.