Analytics Magazine Analytics Magazine, September/October 2014 | Page 29

Desperate Need For Analytics The healthcare industry, both the notfor-profit and profit worlds, was traditionally not data- and analytics-driven. However, as the Medicaid patient population increases by leaps and bounds and community healthcare organizations cannot hire enough physicians to expand capacity, a precarious situation looms. Demonstrating quality in care delivery is now critical for community-based healthcare organizations to ensure sustained federal funding, but to do so within the constraints of available resources it is imperative that they utilize analytics to move toward population health management, efficient management of the high cost multi-chronic patients and in general take necessary steps toward improved staff productivity. In absence of coherent data and adequate analytics systems, this is turning out to be a monumental task for many organizations. The reactive nature of the healthcare industry is partly to blame for making a difficult situation worse. Everyone knew that this wave was coming, yet not enough was done to prepare. On the positive side, this has opened up new business opportunities for healthcare analytics companies who may consider turning their attention to notfor-profit segment of the U.S. healthcare industry, a segment that by 2019 is expected to address the healthcare needs of more than 50 million people [2]. a na l y t i c s The non-profit healthcare segment also is in immediate need for analytics that can make sense of clinical, operational and financial data to provide descriptive, post-mortem analysis of the current situation and eventually guide the segment to maneuver the rough waters of the post-ACA world. This is a new healthcare environment that is comprised of an unprecedented number of patients who are waiting to be taken care of by a decreasing number of physicians, combined with funding sources that are under increased governmental scrutiny today and may not be available in the future. Rajib Ghosh ([email protected]) is an independent consultant and business advisor with 20 years of technology experience in various indust ry verticals where he had senior level management roles in software engineering, program management, product management and business and strategy development. Ghosh spent a decade in the U.S. healthcare industry as part of a global ecosystem of medical device manufacturers, medical software companies and telehealth and telemedicine solution providers. He’s held senior positions at Hill-Rom, Solta Medical and Bosch Healthcare. His recent work interest includes public health and the field of IT-enabled sustainable healthcare delivery in the United States as well as emerging nations. Follow Ghosh on twitter @ghosh_r. Notes & REFERENCES 1. “Google’s New Moonshot Project: the Human Body.” 2. Anette L.Gardner, “Maintaining Clinic Financial Stability: Navigating Change, Leveraging Opportunities.” j u ly / a u g u s t 2 014 | 29