Friday, November 20, 2009

Analytics

At Think First, we recognize and embrace the value of analytics in healthcare. We offer a powerful analytics tool called Instant Informatics which I helped develop and continue to support. As our clients continue to attest, the key to the success of Instant Informatics is how easy it is to use.

Excel
Excel 2007 is our preferred reporting tool mainly because it is the lowest common denominator between users who are requesting reports and developers who deliver reports. Excel 2007 is versatile, graphical, easily printable and powerful - all important factors in our decision to utilize it heavily in our Instant Informatics product.

Pivot tables elevate Excel 2007 to the next level of usefulness, providing summary and drill-through information. Pivot tables can point to self-contained data (within the spreadsheet), relational data, or OLAP data, allowing analysis of small or very large datasets, all from the same end user perspective. The average Excel user can become proficient with our Instant Informatics pivots in less than 30 minutes too.

Dashboarding
The term “Dashboard” has become a commonly used term in analytics referring to a concise report that provides a quick and easy means to interpret KPI data. Some dashboards emphasize true dashboard-like "gauges" (like the gas or RPM gauge in your car) for easy understanding. Here at Think First, we provide our customized dashboards, including industry or other client-defined benchmarks, to designated client staff (often physicians, business managers and department chairpersons).

Trends in Dashboarding
While it is typically beneficial to see a high level view of KPI information, there is also often a need to quickly access the underlying details. An example is the physician whose dashboard indicates that his/her Work RVU's have decreased in the past month. A "drill-through" capability is required to assess the cause of the decreased Work RVU’s. Merely delivering the dashboard may not be adequate. While obtaining thorough dashboards with the “drill-through” data incorporated is typically difficult for clients, Think First has eliminated this challenge with Instant Informatics.

To learn more about our Instant Informatics solution, visit our website at: http://www.thinkfirst.us/instant-informatics/

-Eddie Sanders, Senior Consultant