Robert Williams, the respected astronomer, took over the helm of the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Hubble Telescope while it was in dire straits. It had been put into orbit with a critical mirror to take pictures of the wider areas of our universe outside of calibration. Early discussions revolved around whether it was feasible to fix the telescope or to abandon it as an expensive mistake. The team decided to swap out the mirrors over several space walks and eventually saved the program. As director, Williams was given the option to use the telescope at his own discretion and decided to point the telescope at the most distant areas of the galaxy where no light had previously been detected. The teams took photos that we now call the “Pillars of Creation”. These impressive photos gave us new information about our universe and its expansion.
Use data
We live in the information age of healthcare. Data has never been as extensive and accessible as it is now. We learn to use our data in such a way that we become more aware of our environment and can ultimately make more informed and evidence-based decisions. From business intelligence to clinical research to product development, we learn to use data as a critical part of our performance and improvement. The dashboards that many of us have in various portals offer real-time analytics. All of these are good for the work we do in providing or assisting in the delivery of health services. But maybe there is more out there that we have yet to discover.
To change the way we think about ourselves, new questions need to be asked and new data looked at. This data is often already available to us. We just need to find a way to discover it and contextualize it. The number of systems we use for nursing generate information waiting to be discovered and visualized by creatively asking new questions or even asking the questions we already have about various data sources. In some cases, this data may not exist in our current environment. In this case, we need to investigate new data sources. There are peripheral health-related data sources that can ask important questions and help us better understand ourselves and our performance.
An operational shift for growth
When Robert Williams decided to focus on studying distant galaxies, he made a decision that was viewed as somewhat controversial. He gave discretion to two competing teams to accelerate efforts to discover new information about the expansion of the universe. The results of the teams were so groundbreaking that the leaders of both teams received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work.
In order to expand our understanding of the analytics and metrics we query and measure, we must also be willing to expand or move our operating model. This might include inviting new people to participate in performance metrics development, or adding to the team of people who query the data that is currently available. Perhaps it is time to invite someone from outside the company to bring new ideas to the table, to spark new threads of thought and conversation about where opportunities lie and where the data to support those hypotheses exists.
We in healthcare tend to work linearly and are satisfied with incremental growth. It helps us maintain a stable system of care delivery. However, as we continue to mature to use analytics as a vehicle for self-understanding, we must be ready to become real explorers. And don’t be afraid to see what’s out there on the edge of our own universe.
Jef Williams is the managing partner of Paragon Consulting Partners LLC, a Sacramento, California-based healthcare IT consulting group.
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