The Role of Data Analytics in Healthcare
The public healthcare system in South Africa is vital servicing millions of citizens with medical care. At the same time, one of the persistent problems that beset the public clinics all over South Africa has been the availability of basic drugs. Whether it is a crucial medicine or a regular prescription, these deficiencies not only affect the health of the patients but also add to the burden of the health care workers.
Although several factors have been identified to have caused medication deficiency, such as distribution issues, budget restrictions, and prolonged periods for the manufacture of the medication, data analytics can go a long way in reducing the quite a number of those issues. At Analytica Solutions South Africa , we strive to utilize analytics for improving the processes of public healthcare so as to make crucial drugs available as they should be and enhance the quality of patient care.
The Struggle for Medicinal Shortages
In several public facilities, patients are compelled to wait for longer and doctored essentials because of the following reasons:
?? Ways in Which Data Analytics Can Assist Public Clinics In Managing Medication Shortages
The Most Effective Way That Data Analytics Can Assist Public Clinics These days, data analytics has become an integral part of the day to day operations at public clinics as it enables them to predict how much demand there is for a particular medication, how much of that drug to keep in stock, and the best ways in which to acquire more stock if it runs low. This is something that is very much needed at all public clinics as it ensures that drug shortages do not occur. To elaborate more on this use case, there are several strategies that can be pursued as follows:
At any given time, data analytics will take an average historical drug utilization, the patient profile and the period of the year into consideration to determine which medications are likely to be in short supply. This will enable clinics to efficiently avoid a situation where they do not have critical medications due to these drugs being used more than anticipated.
?? Use Case: A hospital in KwaZulu-Natal has previously run seasonal models when anticipating a surge in the use of antiretrovirals during winter. Anticipating the need for stocks in advance helped that facility avert the looming crisis of drug stockouts at every antiretroviral treatment site.
Lack of efficiency in stock management can arise from the known management procedures and in worst cases, stockouts can result. Given that healthcare practitioners may face stock outages, intelligent forecasting will allow clinics to maintain the required amount without the likelihood of overstocking. It also assists clinics in tracking which medicines are close to expiry date in order to minimize wastage.
?? Use Case: In Gauteng, a clinic configured an inventory optimization tool where stock levels are updated through data analysis tools. Low levels of asthma medication were detected in the clinic’s system, which triggered early re-ordering to avoid running out of the stock. This resulted in a drop of stockouts by 25% in the first six months.
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Adopting data analytical tools such as business intelligence tools enables public clinics to have more oversight into their supply chain. Effective clinics know how to track medication orders from suppliers in order to manage expected timelines for deliveries and be sensitive towards delays. Absence of facts leads to less than ideal selection of suppliers to use for specific items hence analysis of supplier performance data is important for clinics’ timely procurement of medicaments.
?? Use Case: A rural clinic in Limpopo tracked performances from suppliers and found one vendor to be consistently delayed in delivering key antibiotics. The clinic cancelled the supplier and therefore improved delivery delays.
Public clinics have to deal with stringent budgets. For them, resources should be utilized in the best possible manner. Data analytics has the ability to allow clinics to project their future costs and thereby develop budgets that prioritize the procurement of essential drugs. Analysis of past spending patterns will further a clinic's efficiency in planning its procurement strategies to prevent budgetary shortfalls.
??Use Case: A budget forecasting tool was implemented at a public clinic in the Western Cape, which analyzed past purchasing data with supplier pricing trends. In turn, this empowered the clinic to better negotiate prices for high-demand medications, hence reducing procurement costs by 10%.
??Building a Data-Driven Approach to Healthcare
Data analytics are a potent tool in the hands of public clinics that are struggling to cope with medication shortages. By leveraging data to anticipate demand, rationalize inventory, and manage supply chains, such clinics can make informed decisions that ensure patients get the right medication at the right
At Analytica Solutions South Africa , we deal with custom-built data analytics that empower public health facilities with overcome challenges such as shortage of medicines. Our service includes:
Join the Fight Against Medication Shortages
Utilizing data analytics helps public clinics join the battle of medication shortage to ensure quality care provided to the patients. Are you seeking a way to revolutionize your clinic in managing medications? Your trusted partner is the team of Analytica Solutions South Africa . Together, we can make a difference in public healthcare.
Tip: Start with a very simple data collection system where medication levels are tracked on a current basis, along with patient demand and time taken for deliveries from suppliers. This will, in time, form a very strong foundation for an analytics-driven solution.
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