WHITE PAPER

KPIs for intuitive, real-time analytics

in healthcare providers

Abstract
In this paper we present our point of view on how intuitive dashboards based on the right
key performance indicators (KPIs) can accelerate the speed and quality of decision-making
for healthcare providers.
Today, the provider value chain generates huge volumes of disparate and disjointed data.
The BI and analytics systems should gather and aggregate data against the right KPIs
and present a meaningful dashboard-based view. A good BI dashboard helps providers
analyze their retrospective trends, see the indications about performance in real time,
and make reasonable predictions for the future. It is crucial to support these capabilities
with advanced slice and dice options to identify and eliminate the root causes for poor
performance. This will help the leadership in getting a holistic snapshot of the provider’s
performance and take proactive decisions.
Most providers today have multiple ERPs and applications with analytics capabilities.
The need of the hour is to have one common source of truth to connect performance
across provider domains – clinical, operations, and financial, for intelligent inputs to bring
transformational benefits
 Introduction KPIs –Building blocks of analytics
The dynamic healthcare environment – With greater accountability and governance analysis, work break-down analysis, and swim
evolving regulatory environment, shifting pressures, the providers today are lanes diagrams of As-Is can be deployed
reimbursement models, rising consumerism, increasingly tracking and reporting key to identify the stakeholders involved and
declining margins – is pushing providers performance indicators (KPIs) to get a potential bottlenecks. Each KPI identified
to go digital and embrace technology like measure of how they are progressing should be subjected to the SMART test, i.e.:
never before. This rapid proliferation of toward short- and long-term goals. The
• Specific: Clearly indicate the item getting
technology in providers is leading to a highly key to building a strong foundation for the
evaluated
fragmented applications landscape, multiple analytics program is to identify the right KPIs.
clinical systems (HIS, EMR, Specialty, Lab Pick outcome-based KPIs across the provider • Measurable: Data capture points need to
and diagnostics, etc.), and portable devices. value chain; define baseline performance be available
They generate huge volumes of disparate values; and progressively link them to the • Achievable: Should not require change in
and siloed data across the entire provider business value. regular workflow
value chain over multiple channels. The BI • Result-oriented: Change in the KPI value
These KPIs can be identified by a thorough
and analytics systems should gather and should have significant impact on output
study of the ‘As-Is’ model and current
aggregate data against the right KPIs and
perceived / experienced pain points across • Time-based: How long before data on
present a meaningful dashboard-based view.
business processes. Techniques like motion specific results is available?

Here is an indicative chart showing provider KPIs with value linkages to explain the holistic approach for KPI identification:

Value levers Operational levers Key performance indicators

Total collections; claim denial turnaround; net AR days and
Improve collections
aging; bad debt as percentage of gross revenue
Improve
reimbursements
Increase
Billing turnaround; re-billed claims; clean claims
revenues Improve claim accuracy
as percentage of total claims

Improve customer Reduce patient switch Patient satisfaction scores; adherence to follow-up plan
base

Improve patient base Number of revisits; admission rates; referrals

Increase
profitability
Improve care compliance Readmission rates; mortality rates; ALOS; case mix index
Improve clinical
efficiency
Rate of hospital acquired infection; OR returns
Improve patient safety
Medication error rate

Reduce costs

Improve cycle time Reduce waiting time; improve schedule adherence

Improve operational
efficiency Improve asset utilization Occupancy rate; bed turnover rate; OR utilization rate

Improve staff utilization Caregiver to patient ratio; staff turnover rate

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Measure, monitor, improve
Once we have the foundational KPIs, dashboards, alerts, and dynamic reports built stakeholders in providers are focused
the next step is to chalk out the plan to on a consolidated source of provider data on the same targets and looking at the
measure, monitor, and improve. Real-time are the best mechanism to ensure that key latest numbers.

Proactively identify the Understand the magnitude Determine the root Fix the problem
existence of a problem and historical context cause of the problem

• Real-time alerts over • Historical trend analysis • Drill down up to the • Fix the problem by
emails, SMS • Predictive modeling to root cause in reporting eliminating identified
• Dashboards to provide forecast problem • Work flow manager to bottlenecks in work flows
intuitive performance magnitude highlight processes • By increasing the alert
levels taking longer than frequency on missed
benchmarks activities

Analytical / BI tools with these capabilities employees to actively make decisions to Further, clear communication and feedback
effectively cause a shift to proactive optimize resources across objectives and processes are established around objectives
behavior among the providers. It empowers look for creative ways to achieve goals. and measures.

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Analytics and BI – The right tool can be a game changer
Most providers today have multiple ERPs solution that offers a single source of truth to progressively move to next levels. Here
and application vendors offering point across the provider value chain. The right is a snapshot of the analytics / BI maturity
solutions for analytics. These definitely help analytics tool caters to the provider’s current of healthcare providers and the desired
in the short term, but in the long term, what analytical maturity and provides a road map product features.
providers need is to move from a point-of-
need analytics solution to a unified analytics

Pervasive
analytics
Predictive
analytics
Advanced • Automate analytics, self-
analytics learning rules and
algorithms, intuitive to
Operational • Advanced algorithms for uncover problems
reporting predictive modeling, trends • Advanced information
forecasting, alerts to prevent architecture that pulls data
• Analyze trends and misses from internal and external
patterns, root-cause • Best practices for sources
analysis, comparison to information architecture are
• Business-function-specific benchmarks defined and used in certain
point of need reporting • Coherent information areas.
• No coherent information architecture exists but
architecture cannot extend to new
data sources

Conclusion
Effective analytics / BI focuses on quickly Prior to embarking on the analytics journey, • Pick high-impact KPIs to generate
achieving results and changing behavior, providers must consider the following maximum ROI
rather than being a complicated planning success factors: • Take a holistic approach that integrates
and data management exercise. With the people, processes, and systems, to meet
• Robust road map – Short-term and long-
selection of meaningful metrics and the common goals
term performance objectives
right technology aligned to a provider’s
• Identify KPIs that will measure • Continuously measure, monitor,
maturity level, investment in an analytics tool and improve
performance vis-à-vis objectives
can start driving results in a matter of weeks.

For more information, contact [email protected]

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