Answering new questions and delivering greater value
“When you are implementing software systems, you need to make sure that people understand and use the data, because that’s where the real benefit comes from. Key to that is data literacy.” Stuart McCaw, Programme Manager atTeWhatu Ora – Health New Zealand Capital, Coast, HuttValley
While vast amounts of healthcare data are available, the challenge is making this data usable and actionable. Decision makers need to understand the different levers that drive patient outcomes, the level of performance at a healthcare facility, and the impact of policies that are designed or delivered across a health program, and at all levels of care. In a data driven organisation, questions are encouraged. It is not simply about producing reports detailing what was done in the past, but questioning why and how it could be improved for the future? Successful organisations have a culture in which all staff – from nursing and allied health professionals on the frontline, right up to executive level – are empowered to ask questions of data. Data literacy is the ability to read, work with, analyse and communicate with data. Data literate staff understand what
questions to ask and how to get true benefit from available data. This becomes a virtuous cycle, as data driven organisations produce data literate employees, who then contribute more to their roles. Access to the right analytics tools drives adoption of data-driven decision making and increased data literacy amongst health staff. The ability to deliver self-serve analytics also frees up resource to focus on providing greater value back to an organisation. This was the case for Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa, where the introduction of automation and self-service analytics means many queries do not come to the analytics team anymore and the time needed to produce reports is significantly reduced, allowing them to focus on providing greater value back to their customers.
HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND | A HINZ SPECIAL REPORT | 7
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