Data=Understanding

Data = Understanding

“In God we trust. All others must bring data.” – W. Edwards Deming

Data is a powerful tool for helping orthopedic practices make better decisions, and it can be used to improve not just the efficiency and effectiveness of your practice, but also the lives of patients.

Practices can use data to determine whether they are providing the best care possible, or if they need to amend reach their goals. By using data as part of your action plan, you can track progress over time, identify weaknesses in your system, and adjust based on those findings. You will know what is working well and where improvements are needed—all without guesswork! 

As a medical professional and leader, you are no doubt aware of the importance of data. It is what lets you make informed decisions about your patients' health and well-being. But as an administrator, do you know how to use that data to improve your practice's performance?

If you would like to learn more about how to use data in your practice, here are a few tips for getting started: 

• Collecting the right kind of data. Your first step should be to figure out which metrics will help you gauge whether your practice is performing well. These metrics might include things like patient satisfaction scores, wait times for appointments, and so on. You can then collect this information from multiple sources—for example, through electronic records (ERs) or surveys sent out by mail after visits.
• Analyzing the data collected by staff members at each location where this information is stored as well as by outside vendors such as insurance companies who may have access to information about patient visits but are not related to them (such as billing companies).
    

You may also wish to consider using AAOE Empower which is your portal to all the data your practice needs to improve and succeed in today’s healthcare environment. From patient satisfaction and outcomes to operational metrics on revenue, compensation, and productivity.

Key Takeaways

• Medical practices can use data to improve their performance, but they need to be able to identify the right metrics, and then act based on those metrics.
• Understanding your practices’ specific challenges will help you identify the most important metrics for you. 
• Once you have identified your key metrics, it is important to gauge how well you are meeting them on a regular basis so that you can spot any trends in performance over time.