When a map changed everything

In healthcare, data is a vital tool for driving meaningful improvements in patient care. Recently, I worked with a specialist private Lung Cancer consultant in London, focusing on a significant challenge: a high rate of “Did Not Attend” (DNA) appointments. This was particularly concerning given the patient population, who were mostly elderly and facing serious health challenges.

The consultant wanted to understand the underlying causes of these missed appointments. I had access to anonymised patient data, including partial residential postcodes, and the hospital’s location: incoming Geo-analysis!!.

By mapping the patient’s broad location against the hospital’s location, a pattern started to emerge: a large number of DNA appointments resulted from patients living for example: in the northern part of the city, while the hospital was situated in the south.

For elderly and unwell patients, the distance to the hospital presented quite a challenge, right?. The journey, not helped by their health conditions, most likely contributed significantly to their inability to attend appointments.

This geo-mapping provided a real basis for actionable change. Based on the analysis, we discussed strategies to improve patient access. We explored and played around with 2 solutions:

• Establishing a satellite clinic in the northern region: This would offer a more accessible point of care for patients in that area.
• Implementing a virtual clinic: Using technology to provide remote consultations, thereby eliminating travel requirements.

Following a thorough cost-benefit analysis, the consultant proceeded with a chosen solution. A mixture of the two. A mini clinic for patients he needed to see face to face, and a virtual clinic for those who he didn’t. The outcome was a reduction in the DNA rate.

This experience highlights the value of geo-analysis in healthcare. By visualising patient data in a spatial context, we identified a critical barrier and implemented a solution.

This project demonstrated the transformative potential of data analysis in enhancing patient-centred care. This kind of analysis can be used in any situation, not just healthcare. It can be used in distribution, sales, Retail, you name, we can map it. (as long as you have location data of course.)

Let me know your thoughts, get in touch,

#HealthcareAnalytics #Geoanalysis #PatientAccess #LungCancer #DataDriven #Innovation #VirtualClinics #PatientExperience #tableau #powerbi #mapping #geo