Knowledge Activity: Applied Data Analytics II

(Informatics)

Prerequisites
1. Use of Microsoft Excel® is required to complete this activity
2. This activity is the second activity in a sequential 5-activity series. Completion of the
activity below is required to successfully complete this activity:
 Orientation to Data Analytics I

Student instructions
3. If you have questions about this activity, please contact your instructor for assistance.
4. You will review a de-identified patient chart to complete this activity. Your instructor has
provided you with a link to the Applied Data Analytics II (Informatics) activity. Click on
2: Launch EHR to review the patient chart and begin this activity.
5. Refer to the patient chart and any suggested resources to complete this activity.
6. Document your answers directly on this activity document as you complete the activity.
When you are finished, you will save this activity document to your device and upload
this activity document with your answers to your Learning Management System (LMS).

The activity
Shoreline Birth Center is a major metro birth center that delivers the most babies in the area.
According to Shoreline’s website, [Shoreline] “has long been a leader in caring for women,
children and families. Our Birth Center is a beautiful example of our commitment to providing
you with state-of-the-art healthcare in a warm, soothing environment. And as the hospital that
delivers the most babies in the metro area, our commitment to families is clear. From our
outstanding nursing and medical staff, to our state-of-the-art Level III NICU and high-risk
maternity unit, the Shoreline Birth Center takes every step to ensure you are comfortable, both
physically and emotionally, during your stay with us.”

Last week the local paper did an article on the nation's high rates of Cesarean (C-section)
deliveries. The journalist featured interviews with Shoreline Birth Center doctors and patients
who either performed or had undergone Cesarean deliveries. The Birth Center feels that the

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press will negatively impact their bottom line and have asked you to review their data and
present the facts.

You have access to the following private patient data elements via the Shoreline EHR database.
 Patient demographics
 Vital signs
 Medications
 Diagnoses
 Labs
 Active problems
 Visit dates and times
 Procedures
 Test results
 Clinical notes

Access the de-identified EHR of a Shoreline patient that accompanies this activity under 2:
Launch EHR and determine whether the data would be helpful to collect to address the public
concern. Explain your answers.

Questions
Patient demographics
1. Describe which, if any, specific demographic data should be collected and why. This
information is found on the Registration Tab. I believe age and ethnicity are crucial
factors to consider, as it’s important to identify which age group is most affected.
Ethnicity is also significant, as it may help determine if certain ethnic groups are more
prone to C-sections. Additionally, knowing the demographic area is valuable to assess
whether there is a nearby birth center or not.

Vital signs
2. Describe which, if any, specific vitals data should be collected and why. This information
is found on the Vitals Tab. I believe all vital signs should be monitored and recorded
during pregnancy, as it's crucial to ensure they remain stable both during and after
childbirth. Pulse is important to verify the baby is receiving adequate support, while
oxygen saturation ensures the baby is getting enough oxygenated blood. Blood pressure
is essential for the safety of both mother and baby, temperature helps detect any

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 infection risks that could affect the fetus, and respiratory rate is necessary to confirm
that the mother is ventilating properly and is not in distress.

Medications
3. Describe which medication administration fields, if any, should be collected. This
information is found on the Meds Tab and can be examined by clicking on any
administered medication order. The medication, along with the date and frequency of
administration, should be clearly documented to ensure proper dosing and timing.

Diagnoses & Problem lists

4. Describe which diagnosis or problem fields, if any, should be collected and why.
Problems and diagnoses are listed together on the Problems Tab. Identifying pregnancy
complications to assess the need for a C-section.

Visit dates and times

5. Describe which fields, if any, should be collected. This data can be found on the
Encounters Tab in the Account section. The date and a description of the patient visit
should be recorded to document the primary complaint.

Procedures
6. Describe which fields, if any, should be included for procedures. This data can be found
on the Claims Tab in the Account section. Certain procedures that could help determine
whether the patient will have a C-section or a natural birth.

Test results
7. Describe which fields, if any, should be included for test results. This data can be found
on the Labs Tab. Unusual or abnormal results.

Clinical notes
8. Describe which fields, if any, should be included for clinical notes. This data can be
found on the Notes Tab. This should include any clinical notes containing information
about the patient's care.

Critical thinking
9. Which of the above data elements do you think is the most important data element to
generate the Shoreline Birth Center’s rate of Cesarean delivery? Why? I believe the

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 diagnostic data is the most important because it provides information on the total
number of natural births, C-sections, and overall births at the clinic.

10. Describe how you will use this data element to calculate Shoreline’s rate of Cesarean
delivery. I would take the reported number of C-sections and divide it by the total
number of births documented.

Review the resource, National birth statistics (found under 1: Overview & Resources along
with this activity document) to answer the questions below.

11. What was the national rate of Cesarean delivery in the U.S. in 2022? (Hint: see page 6 of
the resource) 31.9%

12. What was the national rate of Cesarean delivery in the U.S. in 1996? (Hint: see page 6 of
the resource) 20.7%

13. What was the national rate of Cesarean delivery in the U.S. in 2009? (Hint: see page 6 of
the resource) 32.9%
Critical thinking
14. Why should the calendar year 2022 be used to collect birth data to compare Shoreline’s
rate of Cesarean delivery to the national rate? It is the most recent year in which all the
data was documented in the system, allowing for the most accurate comparison results.

Open the resource Shoreline birth data (found under 1: Overview & Resources along with this
activity document) in Microsoft Excel®. A file with 4 columns of data will open. Follow the steps
described below to analyze the data and calculate the 2022 rate of Cesarean section delivery at
Shoreline Birth Center.

Create a pivot table with ‘Type of Birth’ as the Rows and ‘Type of Birth’ as the ∑ Values. ∑
Values should then appear as ‘Count of Type of Birth’. See screenshot below. Please refer to the
pre-requisite activity Orientation to Data Analytics I for a step-by-step refresher on how to
create a pivot table.

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Answer the following questions.

15. How many deliveries were reported at Shoreline Birth Center in 2022? 8,379

16. How many of these deliveries were vaginal? 5,530

17. How many of these deliveries were by Cesarean? 2,849

18. What was the rate of vaginal delivery? 66%

19. What was the rate of delivery by Cesarean? 34%

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 20. How did Shoreline’s rate of Cesarean delivery compare with the national rate of
Cesarean delivery in 2022? Shoreline's cesarean rate is 34%, compared to the national
average of 31.9%.

21. Draft a statement to explain your findings to the Shoreline Birth Center administrative
team. Although our cesarean rate exceeds the national average of 31.9%, it is important
to maintain our efforts for improvement by continuously tracking the data and
developing hypotheses to understand the underlying factors contributing to the current
rate.
Critical thinking
The medical director believes that the Birth Center has a high C-section rate because they are
the area’s only high-risk birth center and, therefore, receive a higher percentage of high-risk
births. She believes that Shoreline’s high rate of C-section is related to the high-risk births and
that C-section results in a safer birth experience for these families. Refer to the private patient
data elements listed at the beginning of this activity and answer the following questions.

22. How, in general, could this hypothesis be proven? The best way to test this hypothesis is
by conducting a comparative analysis using the relevant data elements that contribute
to identifying "high-risk" pregnancies.

23. What types of data elements could be used to prove this hypothesis? List the data you
would include with your rationale for each element. Age is an important factor, as
maternal age can contribute to a high-risk pregnancy. Medical history, including any
prenatal complications, is also crucial since previous pregnancy issues may necessitate a
C-section. Information about prior deliveries, such as labor progress, fetal heart rate
monitoring, the type of previous delivery, and the number of deliveries, should be
considered. Birth outcomes like Apgar scores and neonate morbidity rates are also
significant. High-risk pregnancies or complicated births increase the likelihood of a C-
section, and a history of simple pregnancies with a previous C-section may lead to the
recommendation for a C-section in subsequent pregnancies.

Read the resource Difference Between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics (found under 1:
Overview & Resources along with this activity document). Answer the question below.

24. Based on the provided definition, does this data analysis involve descriptive or
inferential statistics? Why? The provided PDF defines descriptive statistics as the

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 process of summarizing and describing the characteristics of a dataset, while inferential
statistics involves using information from a sample population to draw conclusions that
extend beyond the data at hand.

Submit your work

Document your answers directly on this activity document as you complete the activity. When
you are finished, save this activity document to your device and upload this activity document
with your answers to your Learning Management System (LMS). If you have any questions
about submitting your work to your LMS, please contact your instructor.

Learning objectives
1. Analyze technologies for health information management (4)
2. Interpret statistics for health services (5)
3. Manage data within a database management system (5)
4. Identify standards for exchange of health information (3)

References
Haelle, Tara. (May 10, 2018). Your Biggest C-Section Risk May Be Your Hospital. Consumer
Reports. Retrieved from: https://www.consumerreports.org/c-section/biggest-c-section-
risk-may-be-your-hospital/

Michelle J.K. Osterman, M.H.S., Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D., Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H., Anne K.
Driscoll, Ph.D., and Claudia P. Valenzuela, M.P.H.: Final data for 2022. National Vital
Statistics Reports; vol 73 no 2. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
2024.

Simplilearn. (2023, July 12). Descriptive vs. Inferential Statistics: Key differences and
measurement techniques. Simplilearn. https://www.simplilearn.com/difference-
between-descriptive-inferential-statistics-article

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