Are You Listening?

a White Paper
by Karen Wolfe

We believe listening to your data is the way to successfully manage claims and medical costs in Workers’ Compensation. When you listen to your data you get timely and accurate information, information that tells you what’s happening and suggests what to do. When you listen to your data, outcomes improve. 

Listen 
For instance, listen to your data to direct injured workers to the best treating doctors. The data will tell you who they are. Listen to the data to understand how severe the injury is so you know the best type and amount resources to apply.Listen to your data to tell you when claims are not progressing. 

Listen to your data continually to know how your injured workers are progressing toward return to work and to remove obstacles in their path. Listen to your cumulative data to understand what is happening in and to your organization. 

Listening help
We also believe we can help you listen. We collect data from your various sources, integrate it, and analyze it for you. This is not something you can do in your head or on your own. Attempting to do so would be overwhelming and lead nowhere. 

We also update your data continually so when the information is returned to you, it is fresh and accurate, not outdated and unreliable. 

Return information 
When we finish collecting, integrating, updating, and analyzing your data, we give it back to you in forms you can easily understand and act upon. For example, we monitor claims continually and when we notice something that you should know, we send an electronic alert. The alert is sent to the right person at the right time and with the right amount of information for action. Intervening early always leads to better results and lower costs.

Besides alerts, we also give you back information in the form of easy look-ups, searches, and reports. We give you pre-defined queries that allow you to further analyze your data and to drill down for even more intelligence. 

Easy

The best thing about listening to your data is that it’s so easy because we do the listening for you and send you information via online apps. Our online apps are easy to access and operate. Let us help you listen to your data.

Karen Wolfe is the founder and President of MedMetrics®, LLC, a Workers’ Compensation, analytics-based medical management and technical services company. MedMetrics analyzes and scores medical provider performance and offers online apps that link analytics to operations, thereby making them actionable. karenwolfe@medmetrics.org

How to Make IT a Business Value Strategy

by Karen Wolfe 

“Not everyone can be an IT expert, but everyone can become an expert in how IT advances the strategies of their domain.”

“Has your IT (Information Technology) come out of the proverbial and actual basement to be an integral part of your business strategy? Too often business leaders task IT with an initiative and expect it to be delivered. End of story. The truth is, business owners must engage and own the outcomes of their IT investments, driving them to a strategic value that can be measured.”[1] 

IT strategy 

What is IT strategy? Think of any infrastructure initiative—building highways, public transportation, or urban development. Without the requisite strategic investment of time, funding, and planning, these initiatives face delays, cost overruns, diversion from desired strategy and failure. True partnerships between IT and business operations insures the best thinking of both that can be applied to a given situation to produce strategic results.[2] 

Business value 
IT should be viewed as a business strategy. Today, not a single discussion can be had in the Workers’ Compensation industry relating to claims management or medical management that does not include IT. As Workers’ Comp focuses on outcomes (both cost and quality) it is the only new strategy around. Moreover, it is the most effective and efficient strategy to achieve business goals. Six elements are necessary to generate business value by leveraging the IT strategy. 

1.    Define the project
Describing how the new technology or a data application will function is only the first step in integrating IT into the business strategy. However, defining it can be tricky. Remember, IT professionals talk a different language and appreciate different measures of success than those involved in operations. Business owners cannot assume their IT requests are understood as they were intended. Even slight misinterpretations of requests can result in frustration, cost overrides and a useless tool.

I recall one time early in my career I submitted specifications for a development project. I used the word “revolutionary” to describe the powerful impact it would have on the business. However, the IT person, being much younger and male, interpreted revolutionary in an aggressive, military sense, not even near to what I had in mind. Always verify understanding and clarify of all elements of the IT project. 

2.    Design for simplicity 

IT projects should be designed for simplicity of use. If the project outcome is complicated or requires too many steps, people will not use it. Design functions where the programmers do the work whenever possible, not the users of the function.

3.    Expected business value 
As a part of defining the IT project, define its expected business value. Both the business unit involved and IT need to align their expected outcomes. Not unlike evaluating ROI (Return on Investment), identify the financial investment and rewards of the IT project. Also, describe the anticipated collateral outcomes of the IT project, such as PR, business growth, or client involvement. Figure out how to measure the expected business outcomes when the project is complete.

Design the project outcome value measures at the beginning. Too often business leaders do not articulate their expectations of value and, therefore, can never prove them. If you don’t know where you are going, you could end up somewhere else.

4.    Commit resources 
Funding and other resources such as personnel should be allocated at the beginning. Short-shifting resources will guarantee less than satisfactory results.

Know from the beginning how the IT project will be implemented and who will do the work and be responsible for it. Establish accountabilities and create procedures for follow-up.

5.    Monitor progress 
Continuously monitor and manage the project, even throughout the IT development process. Discovering deviations from plan early minimizes damage and rework. Obviously, rework means cost and delay.

6.    Measure value
Once the project is accepted and implemented, begin continuous outcome evaluation. Execute the value measures outlined in the beginning. Make necessary adjustments and keep your eye on business value. 

Re-stating the central point, "Not everyone can be an IT expert, but everyone can become an expert in how IT advances the strategies of their domain. 

Karen Wolfe is the founder and President of MedMetrics®, LLC, a Workers’ Compensation, analytics-based medical management company. MedMetrics analyzes and scores medical provider performance and offers online apps that link analytics to operations, thereby making them actionable. karenwolfe@medmetrics.org

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[1]Quammen, B. The Case for Healthcare Tech. Healthmgttech.com. March, 2016.

[2]  Ibid.