Feb. 20, 2025 | By Ed Gulick, Defense Health Network East
FORT BELVOIR, Va. — Members across the Defense Health Network East area gathered here Jan. 28- 30 to learn how to improve health care and readiness using data.
The course, titled “Business Intelligence and Analytics,” focused on how to collect, analyze and use data to identify trends and patterns that can be used to improve processes in how networks provide patient-centered care.
“Our military treatment facilities have the goal of providing the best care to our patients,” said Jose Ortiz-Sanchez, course instructor and chief of Virtual Health for William Beaumont Army Medical Center - Fort Bliss, Texas.
“Each MTF has buildings with providers, equipment, management and support personnel. What makes outcomes better at each MTF depends on the people and processes,” said Ortiz-Sanchez.
In one interactive lesson, Ortiz-Sanchez gave everyone a sheet of paper and two minutes to create a paper airplane. Then, he had each person launch the airplane at his chest. Each plane looked different. Some hit the mark, but many missed, some by great margins.
“Each of you had the same sheet of paper. It was what you did with it that determined whether you got the outcome you wanted,” said Ortiz-Sanchez.
He then re-created the Red Bead Experiment, pioneered by Dr. W. Edwards Deming, demonstrating “that even though a ‘willing worker’ wants to do a good job, their success is directly tied to and limited by the nature of the system they are working within,” Ortiz-Sanchez said.
In the experiment, students received different guidance on the task of collecting small red beads from a plastic container with both white and red beads. Each student was graded on how many red beads they collected each round over four total tries. At each attempt, the student was given different guidance, including conflicting, non-useful messages, multiple ideas, and instructions such as do-your-best or no instructions at all.
Ortiz-Sanchez taught the students, through the experiment, that understanding and excelling at the task depended greatly on the guidance they received.
He used the experiment for subsequent lessons on where to focus, find and use data trends to get everyone on the same page with what works (or doesn’t) and why.
“To truly impact change, we need good data that shows trends,” said Ortiz-Sanchez. “The power of getting people behind change in processes is showing them data that supports the change.”
Shawnlawn Edwards, assistant director of Healthcare Operations for DHN East, set up the course to help DHN East facilities gain additional methods of gathering, charting and utilizing data to assist in improving care based on trends.
“Good data, visually presented, can help facility leaders guide changes if required to improve processes,” said Edwards.
On the last day, the students formed teams and looked at real data from network facilities, with the goal of finding specific processes that work based on data and how they might change processes to improve outcomes.
Teams looked at items such as “time-to-initial appointments,” use of telehealth, primary care referrals to the commercial network, and audiology cancellations.
“There’s often an ‘aha” moment when students realize the power analytics has in control and optimization of health care processes,” said Ortiz-Sanchez. “They learn that large fluctuations over time generally mean processes aren’t tight or followed, and when data is tight it shows that staff are following processes. Ultimately, you want tight data that also provides great outcomes.”
Other topics of the training included sessions on process control charts, investigating variation and focusing on the process.
