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
    photo of hands with blue veins
    8 Proven Tips on Finding Difficult Veins
    November 12, 2021
    tips for getting over the pandemic blues
    4 Proven Ways to Get Over the Pandemic Blues
    February 22, 2022
    medical industry innovations
    How is CNC Machining Transforming the Medical Industry?
    June 2, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 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
    comparative negligence
    Not Knowing About Comparative Negligence Can Worsen Your Medical Debt
    April 12, 2023
    racial disparities in healthcare
    Why We Need to Address Racial Disparities in Maternal Health Care
    August 26, 2021
    Enhancing Pharmaceutical Patient Compliance & Drug Efficacy
    February 12, 2024
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Hospitals Use Analytics To Prepare For A Rush
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 > Policy & Law > Health care > How Hospitals Use Analytics To Prepare For A Rush
Health care

How Hospitals Use Analytics To Prepare For A Rush

Ryan Ayers
Ryan Ayers
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

  The demand for emergency room services in the United States has increased 50% since 1994, according to a study published by the Healthcare Financial Management Association. America’s ERs frequently experience overcrowding and radical upward swings in intake. In addition to the increase in services, the industry has also experienced a 13% decrease in the number of emergency departments active in the U.S. This imbalance in staffing and services related to the number of patients needing said services has led to many discussions on ways to properly meet the demand with the given supply of medical personnel and facilities. One of these discussions has led to an upward tick in the number of emergency departments using management theory and data analytics tools to determine when to expect these “rushes” and prepare accordingly.

Contents
Framing the ProblemPoor Staffing Allocation CostsData to the Rescue

Framing the Problem

The term “understaffing” is a bit of a misnomer, because there are a lot more factors than just having an influx of patients that are causing the emergency departments to overcrowd. Using data analytics, the emergency department industry has been able to determine additional factors. Some of the more prominent factors are:

  • Patients reporting to emergency rooms who do not require emergency care
  • Staff not performing to standards
  • Improper staff utilization
  • Misuse of funds

In most cases, the emergency department of a given hospital system is a financial loss leader. It’s an expensive setting which doesn’t regularly result in extended lengths of stay for patients. A study by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) determined that only 8.7% of emergency department visits result in admissions to other areas of he hospital system. Given the reality of the emergency departments not being revenue builders, monetary data can be used to save the department money, and ultimately provide proper staff and facilities for patients in need.

Poor Staffing Allocation Costs

Historically, emergency departments have combated “rushes” by bringing in on-call staff or reaching out to employees who were not scheduled to work. Often, the cavalry wouldn’t arrive in time and the emergency department wound up with too few workers to admit everyone during the rush, and far too many after the rush was over, resulting in financial losses on both ends. Using analytics to prepare for these rushes ahead of time is a great start to cutting costs.

More Read

Things You Should Know Before Buying Golden Teacher Mushrooms Spores
Things You Should Know Before Buying Golden Teacher Mushrooms Spores
Key Tips For Buying Safe And Effective CBD Products
Beyond Lip Augmentation: Exploring the Versatile World of Dermal Fillers
Melbourne Legal Advocates Ensure Healthcare is a Human Right
6 Ways Technology Can Improve Your Healthcare Practice

Data to the Rescue

Using data is the best way to achieve this. As an example, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in New Jersey was experiencing losses in the emergency department and implemented a data analytics system which determined when to have more staff and when to reduce the numbers of nurses on the floor. Analytics also determined that rushes tend to happen in the middle of the day so a mid shift was added and some late shifts were cut. Hospitals aren’t the only venues in which data is being used cut costs. Any business with a supply and demand can benefit from the knowledge gained, and even some high schools are beginning to teach (and use) data analytics tools in the classroom. In addition to in-house data, hospital systems are working together to share data as well, with the sense that if all emergency departments are experiencing losses, it’s a win-win for patients if the hospitals share their data and successful changes that resulted from the data. Analytics will ultimately save hospitals money and save patients’ lives.

TAGGED:analyticsHealthcarehealthcare analyticshealthcare datahospitals
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Ryan Ayers
Follow:
Ryan Ayers has consulted a number of Fortune 500 companies within multiple industries including information technology and big data. After earning his MBA in 2010, Ayers also began working with start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a keen focus on data collection and analysis.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Health careObesitySpecialties

Should You Recommend Bariatric Surgery to Obese Patients?

May 30, 2017
Health carePolicy & Law

Everything You Need To Know About Birth Injury Claims

April 30, 2019
racial disparities in healthcare
Health care

Why We Need to Address Racial Disparities in Maternal Health Care

June 7, 2021
Health careMedical EducationMedical EthicsPublic Health

The Importance Of Using Professional Medical Translators

August 14, 2018
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?