By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    mosquito misting spray to fight malaria
    Avoid Malaria with Mosquito Misting Systems
    June 12, 2023
    Medical Surveys
    Beyond the Clinic: Medical Surveys Are a Roadmap to Passive Income for Doctors
    September 23, 2023
    Glutathione
    What Are The Benefits of Glutathione?
    January 22, 2024
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Tips for Older Travelers
    April 14, 2012
    Anti-RUC Suit Challenges Process for Setting Doc Pay Scales
    October 25, 2011
    Math Matters: Dosing Errors Can Be Deadly
    May 1, 2012
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: 5 Questions Every Healthcare Executive Should Ask Before Implementing Data
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > 5 Questions Every Healthcare Executive Should Ask Before Implementing Data
BusinessHospital AdministrationTechnology

5 Questions Every Healthcare Executive Should Ask Before Implementing Data

ashasaxena1
ashasaxena1
Share
6 Min Read
health data implementation
SHARE

health data implementationData is enticing. From a distance, it seems to glimmer like a promised land of heightened knowledge, greater insight, and success. Amid the pressures of change in the healthcare industry, it’s no wonder there’s a race to implement data practices — everyone is trying to keep up with competitors and adapt to new rules and regulations. 

health data implementationData is enticing. From a distance, it seems to glimmer like a promised land of heightened knowledge, greater insight, and success. Amid the pressures of change in the healthcare industry, it’s no wonder there’s a race to implement data practices — everyone is trying to keep up with competitors and adapt to new rules and regulations. 

But simply waiting for your IT team to roll out the latest technology isn’t going to help you bring value to your healthcare facility. After all, technology is merely the vessel where big data sits ready to be applied to your organization. If you don’t know where you’re going or what you aim to achieve, there’s little value in spending the time reaping it.

Your IT team might be first-rate at analyzing data, but it’s you — the leader — who needs to be taking the lead when it comes to making that analysis valuable by aligning it with your organization’s overall goals.

More Read

Free Physician Rating and Medical Q&A Forum at Avvo.com
Blurred Lines: Angling for Advantage in the “New Normal” of the ACA
5 Healthcare Industry Issues of 2016
Electronic Health Records: A New Frontier for Medical Malpractice?
Talking Healthcare with Jeff McCormick, Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts

You Need Goal-Driven Data to Bring Value

Of course, it’s tempting to rush into new tech implementations. Most organizations are used to their traditional system, so rather than seeking out unfamiliar but better changes, they’d prefer to make tweaks to their existing systems. But in doing so, they aren’t thinking about innovative ways to improve patient care; they’re just trying to keep up with competitors. 

This isn’t totally their fault. Healthcare is going through a particularly complicated structural evolution right now. The Affordable Care Act brought about hoards of new regulations and measures. Now organizations are reimbursed differently for different kinds of patients and according to the quality of care they provide (e.g., level two for flu, level five for a head injury, etc.). Measuring the value of each case is a tricky balancing act.

Organizations also suffer financial penalties for high readmission rates and other metrics, driving them to compete with other organizations. With hospitals running on such tight budgets, it pays to be able to analyze value-based metrics and maintain profitability while ensuring quality in patient care.

Uncover Your Aims to Drive Your Data 

The word “value” is crucial, and its meaning differs depending on the organization. That’s why your metrics need to be directly aligned with your specific, unique goals. But to set the right goals, you need to ask some tough questions:

1. What is your top priority as an organization? Do you want to be a general hospital or a specialty hospital that emphasizes cancer care or OB-GYN services? If you want to be one of the top cancer centers in the country, you’ll need to prioritize your data analysis accordingly and actively measure the quality of care for cancer patients.

2. Where are the holes in your strategic plan? Are there areas in which your plan is hazy or insufficient? Find out what information you need to be able to fix these weak spots. If you need outside consulting or training, discover that need before you go any further with data.

3. How do you want to grow? Do you want to expand, or do you want to pivot into another area of specialization? Whatever the case, you need to implement tech based on your specific growth area. Start looking at performance metrics that specifically align with your goals so you can zero in on your organization’s future.

4. What do you excel at, and what do you struggle with? You need to be aware of where you’re failing to utilize the right data metrics to help you achieve your goals. Do your patients consistently give you high scores for room quality? Is your readmission rate higher than it should be?

5. Are you happy with your current tech solutions? How is tech already used and understood in your organization? If there’s a level of confusion about it, you might need to adjust your goals to include improving your current tech processes to allow for better goal-driven data analysis.

Once you’ve identified your goals, you can build your overall strategy around them. Then, you can implement a data strategy based on the areas you want to excel in. If you don’t keep your data strategy in alignment with your goals, its real value will escape you. So embrace the changing climate and fight uncertainty with clear goals. Your patients will thank you for it.

health data / shutterstock

TAGGED:Health IT
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

Medical Innovations

Medical Machinations: The Future of Human Tech Implants

December 5, 2017
rush-in-hospitals
BusinessHospital Administration

How Local Hospitals Are Under Mounting Pressure?

October 23, 2019
healthcare technology
Technology

8 Reasons to Adopt Technology for Your Healthcare Practice

October 3, 2023
healthcare cybersecurity
HealthPolicy & LawTechnology

4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks

October 22, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?