Healthcare Analytics for Quality and Performance Improvement

CHAPTER 1

Toward Healthcare Improvement Using Analytics

Innovation is anything but business as usual.

—Anonymous

How sustainable is healthcare in its current state? Most healthcare organizations (HCOs) claim to be undertaking quality improvement (QI) initiatives, but only a few are consistently improving the quality of healthcare in a sustainable fashion. Despite increased spending on healthcare in the United States, there is little evidence that the quality of healthcare can be improved by increasing spending alone. Health information systems is one technology with the potential to transform healthcare because, among its many capabilities, it can deliver the best evidence to the point of care, employs intelligent algorithms to reduce and prevent medical mistakes, and collects detailed information about every patient encounter. Even with growing volumes of data to analyze resulting from the continuing proliferation of computer systems, HCOs are struggling to become or remain competitive, highly functioning enterprises. This chapter will highlight current challenges and pressures facing the healthcare system, identify opportunities for transformation, and discuss the important role that analytics has in driving innovation and achieving healthcare transformation goals.

Healthcare Transformation—Challenges and Opportunities

Healthcare delivery is undergoing a radical transformation. This is occurring as the result of both necessity and opportunity. Change is necessary because, in ...