Company: University Hospital of North Norway
Company Background: Providing specialized health care to 400,000 citizens in Northern Norway.
Contact: Trine Storjord
Title: Clinical advisor and data analyst in Clinic for surgery, gynecology and cancer treatments
Country: Norway
Award Category: Visual Storyteller
How did you use data visualizations to tell a story about your data? What tools did you use?
Automatic generated checklists in Viya are developed and used for effective and continuous improvement of registrations in our patient records. The predefined checklists developed in SAS Viya are published and available for anybody at any time on any screen inside the University Hospital. They are updated every night and show the possible errors from our current patient records. If the errors are corrected, this patient will "fall out" of the checklist tomorrow. The reason for error is dismissed.
I have developed a set of checklists that captures possible errors in the waiting lists from the patient records. The logical system in Viya for these "missings" is developed based on longtime experiences from manual work with patient administration and the effect of relevant "missings" in these records. I have built up logic combinations, based on data fields in relevant data mart in our Viya that captures patient IDs that qualify for an extra check and updates in the patient record.
By using these checklists daily, weekly and monthly and follow up with updates in the patient's record we also gain good quality indicator results for waiting time, planning horizon, deadline breaches and planned attendance that is passed in the calendar - there is no disturbance due to lack of necessary data registrations for provided health care. The main point is that this tool is helping us keep our waiting list "shipshape" as we continuously know that they are not containing any patients that no longer should stand there. Our waiting lists only contain patients that are really waiting for health care. They will get their health care with better accuracy to what we promised, and our availability as health care providers has increased.
Why was it important for your organization to hear this story?
Waiting lists are a complicated data area due to variable registrations in the patient records, data system and legal patient's rights. There is lots of data from the patient's treatment that needs to be put into the record. Errors will occur now and then and the registrations will be done with the wrong date and time. There are often extraordinary events that will influence the flow of patients through the service. This gives potential for errors both in the amount of patients waiting and the waiting time so there is a continuous need for effective quality improvement from available sources.
The system of checklists from Viya has now been used daily since 2016 and the tasks for systematic quality improvement on waiting lists have become very effective. The background logic is evenly improved due to legal changes from the national authorities. And the rest of the hospital is now trying to use this system and I think the amount of patients waiting and the waiting time will benefit a lot.
This has been a revolution in how we treat our patients while they are waiting for health care. The availability of healthcare has improved a lot and we do not experience any scandals due to "hidden" and "surprising" patients from the waiting lists anymore.
How did the story have a positive impact on your organization? Please quantify if possible.
The checklists are published on every screen, meeting room, offices etc. and are updated from the patient records each night. Everybody with a need to use them, can easily reach them. By using these checklists on daily basis we know that our waiting lists are correct at any time.
By using the checklists on a daily basis we have reduced the amount of patients waiting for care and treatment to start up. At the end of 2016 Clinic for surgery, gynecology and cancer treatments had 3,200 patients waiting and today this amount is reduced to 2,100. Waiting time is reduced from an average of 85 days in 2016 to 58 days today. These results are reported to national healthcare authorities (Norsk Pasientregister) in Norway monthly. We are still struggling to reach a goal for an average waiting time of 50 days set by the government.
One of our units for outpatient care treats 30,000 patients each year. They have done some additional administrative improvements, including daily control and updates based on these checklists. The result is that they no longer need waiting lists because they are able to plan attendances with accurate date and time for the patients' appearance. They never have deadline guarantee breaches anymore.
Please share examples of your visualizations.
See attachment
