Unlocking the Power of Clinical Analytics: Insights from Lee Clark, CEO ASO Data Services

By Robert Wittwer, SVP of Professional Services, Ascom Americas

In healthcare, making sense of the mass of clinical data information available and making it actionable can directly lead to improved patient care. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Lee Clark, CEO of ASO Data Services, to discuss the current state and future of clinical analytics in hospitals.

Where Are We? The Adoption Curve of Clinical Analytics

So just where are we on the adoption curve when it comes to clinical analytics? It depends on your hospital, according to Clark. He highlighted the diverse range of adoption levels among hospitals. “It ranges from hospitals that know they have data but don’t know how to collect it or what to do with it to research institutions that are investing millions of dollars in advanced research,” he explained. “We see smaller hospitals that have an antiquated nurse call system that has information that is very useful, but they don't know how to connect to that system and extract that data. Furthermore, they don't know how to combine it with other data sets. Then you go to some of the more advanced educational and research institutions, and they have entire teams, entire organizations that are focused on pulling data not only from their hospital, but from other outside, like population health statistics and combining those.” This spectrum underscores the varying degrees of readiness and capability in leveraging clinical data effectively.

Which Factors Are Driving Analytics Adoption?

Clark points to the dual goal of improving patient care and retaining staff as a key driver for clinical analytics adoption. “Hospitals are trying to retain their staff while they’re also trying to improve care. Using analytics allows these hospitals to positively measure the excellent care that their clinicians are delivering,” said Clark. He notes that by showcasing the impact of their efforts, hospitals can foster a more supportive and appreciative environment for their staff.

How Should Hospitals Get Started Using Analytics?

When I asked about the most impactful measures for clinical leaders, Clark emphasized the importance of starting with basic, understandable metrics. “The most successful organizations start with the basic measures, things that they understand. By focusing on the areas where they understand, they begin to learn what the data is telling them within the proper context,” he advised. This crawl-walk-run approach allows hospitals to build a solid foundation before moving on to more complex analytics.

We talked about practical examples of how hospitals are using data to enhance their operations too, and he told me, “With a good analytics platform, you can show the excellent work that clinicians are doing. It can be something as simple as response time, but it also helps identify the outlier,” he said. This ability to pinpoint areas needing improvement and recognize outstanding performance is crucial in addressing problems early and in recognizing when staff are providing exceptionally high standards.

It's also important to distinguish between collecting data and distributing it. By having a large data set, hospitals can start to analyze responses and reactions based on certain things. For example, we discussed a pulse oximeter. If you're measuring and distributing every pulse ox alarm that comes in when it comes in, then you may be sending out false indicators, which can inundate the staff with more messages. So it’s important especially when you have a large data set to make informed decisions on what alarms to send and when they should be sent.

In another example, we talked about how a hospital wanted to improve their patient satisfaction scores, which would help increase their top-line revenue. They used data to establish a baseline, tweaked their workflow, and then measured the patient satisfaction scores over the next quarter.

“It was a fascinating response because not only did their patient satisfaction scores go up by 45%, which was quite substantial, but they had a 25% increase in the number of respondents. Not only were people saying better things about the patient care they were delivering, but more people were saying better things which had an effect on their top-line revenue, had, most importantly, a positive effect on patient care,” according to Clark. We discussed the impact of this development creating a positive cycle, boosting nursing satisfaction and revenue.

For hospitals who are interested in better using data to optimize their clinical workflows Ascom Professional Services offers Ascom Pro-Analytics. This service combines an advanced analytics engine and clinical consulting expertise to give customers the insights they need to confidently change workflow processes to see data-driven results.

Clearly, the capabilities that clinical analytics unlock can transform healthcare. By starting with basic metrics and gradually expanding and refining their models, hospitals can inch closer to achieving the goals of the Quadruple Aim - improved patient outcomes, enhanced patient and staff retention and reduced expenses. Reaching this goal creates a more efficient and effective healthcare system.

Watch the full Ascom Asks the Experts interview on our website.