5 Easy StepsTo Data Management for Decision Making

Mainspring Healthcare Solutions's

Problems Hospitals Face

Keeping track of their assetpurchase, inventory, maintenanceand depreciationManagers are surprised when theydon't have the information neededfor effective capital planning andregulatory reportingHospitals need to make informedinvestment decisions and remain incompliance, all based on whichassets they have and their condition

Hospitals are tasked with the challenge of operating under high pressure to provideexceptional patient care; while ensuring that equipment is safe, clean, and readily

available.

Problems Include:

Adopting a standard naming conventionConducting a physical inventoryMapping existing data to the standardnomenclatureIntegrating financial and operationalsystemsUsing a data management plan to ensurethat data remains accurateFollow the next 5 steps to easy DataManagement

Problem Solving

Hospitals can solve these problems by:

Action Steps

Adopt a Data Master

"crawl, walk, run"

Hospitals need a data structure or naming convention; nomenclature,for databasesExample: Defibrillator and Defibrillators, mean the same thing but asystem recognizes them as two different items in an inventoryCan be fixed by creating your own language or using a standard one(GS1 or ECRI)Mainspring recommends not diving right into a new system, but to takea simple approach, and evolve as members adapt to a new structure

Data Model

Verify the Inventory

What is actually in the inventory versuswhat is "on the books"Is equipment properly maintained &safe to use?Inaccurate data occurs when inventoryis updated, introduced, ordecommissionedThe # of devices per bed has increasedby more than 60%, resulting indifficulties to keep accurate inventoryDecentralized purchasing and poorlydefined equipment intake processes canresults in assets never entered into thedatabase

>60%

Inventory Comparison

Map Existing Data

After establishing a standardnomenclature and conducting aphysical inventory, a hospitalneeds to:

Update the currentoperational and financialsystems with the newinformationMap the data using serialnumbers and internal trackingnumbers

Mapping Results

Addresses inconsistenciesEnsures that the information in the operational system matches theinformation collected during the physical inventoryIdentifies assets that are missing, inaccurate, or need to be revisedin the databaseCross-reference the hospital's newly organized operationaldatabase with the financial department's asset registerOnce complete, a hospital can be assured that it accurately reflectsthe true status of the equipment within the facility

Final Result:A system-wide inventory witha standard and accurate,naming convention and datastructure

Close the Loop

When finance, purchasing, and clinical engineering exist individually,data inconsistencies emergeIntegrating financial & operational information creates the closed-loopsystemAs hospitals acquire and retire equipment, changes will be universallyupdatedAssures clean, synchronized, data between departmentsSupports capital planning and compliance with financial reportingrequirements

Implement a Data Mangement Plan

An effective data managementplan helps to maintain a highlevel of quality and avoidsslipping back intodisorganizationHospitals can avoid dataquality erosion byimplementing a set of:

ProcessesBusiness rulesControls

These address errorprevention and automaticallyidentify potential data errors

Security

Multiple security levels restricts the ability toadd, remove, and modify asset attributesDrop-down menus provide flexibility forupdates without access to modifying the datamaster itselfAutomated Quality Assurance tools and audittrails keep data clean and create a culture ofaccountabilityHospitals can manage the data master anddata quality within the hospital or outsourcethe responsibility to a third party, namelyMainspring Healthcare Solutions

Conclusion

With quality controls and automated data management, hospitals will beassured that their clean database stays that way.

Healthcare providers continue to be pressured to reduce costs, meet aggressivepatient safety & satisfaction metrics to get full reimbursement payments from

CMS.

Hospitals can address these issues by following the five steps in this presentationto create world-class data management for decision making.

Visit: www.mainspringhealth.com to learnmore about Mainspring's Solutions!