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Unlocking the Power of Data: How WakeMed Health & Hospitals Connects Clinical and Nonclinical Teams

April 5, 2024
Rich Botto

Managing and presenting data effectively can be challenging for many health care organizations. Association member WakeMed Health & Hospitals, a nonprofit health care organization based in Raleigh, N.C., is no stranger to that challenge. In 2018, the health system grappled with the task of obtaining high-quality data in a manner that was transparent, timely, and actionable.

The complexity intensified as health system leaders aimed to bridge the understanding gap between clinical and nonclinical stakeholders.

“Our board of directors, many of them nonclinical, required translating clinical information into a format understandable by all stakeholders,” says Karen Chilton, MD, senior vice president and chief quality officer at WakeMed.

The health system’s objective was clear: increase data transparency across all levels of the organization. To achieve this, WakeMed needed to identify the right key performance indicators (KPIs), focusing on metrics with the highest patient impact.

“We focused on KPIs such as [rates of] catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line–associated bloodstream infections, MRSA, Clostridium difficile, and surgical site infections,” says Chilton. “Our main goal was transparency in quality data. In quality, we want to fix all problems, but focusing on KPIs allows meaningful impact.”

In their pursuit of transparency, WakeMed recognized the need for a more efficient data reporting process. The existing manual approach, involving labor-intensive compilation, graph creation, and validation, consumed significant resources. Moreover, reconciling data from different sources and mitigating discrepancies posed an ongoing challenge.

Transforming Data Utilization

A strategic partnership with leading health care improvement company and association corporate affiliate member Premier Inc. helped WakeMed overcome these obstacles.

“We wanted a data solution that mirrored the thoughtful assembly of a charcuterie board — something that showed up mostly put together, attractive, appealing, and easily digestible by all stakeholders,” says Mary Krizay, director of quality analytics at WakeMed.

With this in mind, WakeMed leveraged Premier’s PINC AI™ technology and services platform to maximize the value of health system data — giving users the ability to access mission-critical clinical, financial, and supply chain data from a central framework. Data can be integrated from various sources, and external data can be uploaded to create or add new datasets.

In 2021, WakeMed used PINC AI™ INsights to build the health system’s first electronic dashboard for KPIs. This effort aimed to streamline data collection, visualization, and distribution.

“Our strategic dashboard had key indicators, targets, and benchmarks, [which are] vital as we’re aiming to be a top 10 health system in the country,” says Chilton.

Using an existing business intelligence tool for data visualization, the team embarked on an initiative to identify and consolidate five data sources into a data warehouse.

“Premier provided technical support and insights in creating the initial dashboard, focusing on mortality, readmission, and length of stay,” says Renee White, a quality performance analyst at WakeMed.

Outcomes

Despite facing challenges, including recalibration during the end of the fiscal year and manual processes for specific data sources such as the National Healthcare Safety Network, the project produced tangible results. The electronic dashboard became the organization’s primary data source and allowed automated updates, reducing the manual workload by 18 hours per month.

This initiative not only saved time but also improved data reporting accuracy. The dynamic dashboards improved engagement and dialogue within the organization, allowing leaders, providers, and nonclinical staff to access and interpret the data more efficiently.

Key stakeholders now easily access the information electronically, marking a departure from a previous reliance on paper-based copies.

“Our dashboard is accessible on iPads, allowing board members to engage with the data easily and fostering an informed, proactive approach to quality,” says White. “The definitions page in the dashboard ensures a common language for all stakeholders, bridging the gap between clinical and nonclinical perspectives.”

Monthly data reviews involved drilling down to case-level data, allowing leaders to examine individual patient charts for actionable insights.

“Our data review process involves examining aggregated and case-level data, empowering leadership triads to identify trends and take actionable steps for performance improvement,” says Krizay.

The data-driven approach extended to oversight committees and board reviews, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s performance.

WakeMed’s journey exemplifies how strategic partnerships, like the one with Premier, can help health care organizations overcome challenges in data management and reporting. The shift from manual processes to an automated, visually engaging data repository reflects a commitment to transparency, efficiency, and continuous improvement in health care delivery.

Learn more about transforming and integrating critical data and surfacing opportunities for enterprise performance improvement.

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