As the healthcare industry grapples with the rising cost of care, healthcare organizations are leveraging healthcare data to drive efficiencies in care delivery, says a study by HIMSS Analytics and Qlik.
The survey revealed that BI and analytics platforms provide better internal transparency for easy recognition of clinical and operational efficiencies which can lead to reduction in the average length of stay and higher patient satisfaction.
56 percent of healthcare organizations that are the early adopters of BI platforms improve overall patient care, significantly reduce healthcare costs, while meeting reporting requirements and driving new opportunities to enhance population health, says the study.
In addition, 48 percent have confirmed they are able to make faster and more accurate decisions, while 47 percent believe the use of BI and analytics platforms result in cost saving.
As the study proves, BI and analytics platforms enhance abilities for healthcare organization executives to see what is actually happening within their organization across all departments, however implementing a BI and analytics platform doesn’t come without challenges.
Among the top barrier to healthcare organizations fully realizing the potential of BI and analytics platforms (with 42 percent responding) is end-user adoption.
When combining the lack of data quality (41 percent) and challenges related to aggregating disparate data sources (27 percent), decision-makers are left relying on outdated spreadsheets and manual processes to analyze data.
As the value of BI and analytics tools become more widely understood among decision makers, healthcare organizations are seeking investments that unlock additional value. Integrating BI and analytics solutions with existing applications and systems is a top investment priority with 36 percent of respondents citing further investment during the next 12-24 months.
