Healthcare Organizations Reduce Costs and Improve Morale Using Analytics Gleaned from Staff Scheduling Data

WILLISTON, Vt., July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To assist healthcare leaders with the challenges of rising costs and decreasing reimbursements, OpenTempo has released, "Get Your Master's in Staff Scheduling," a guide to staffing analytics. Using clear, relatable examples of situations common to large medical practices, the guide explains exactly which data to collect from staff schedules, and how to use those data to reduce overtime costs, improve staff utilization, and improve practice morale.

This guide comes in response to healthcare leaders seeking ways to use data to navigate current economic trends. According to the Price Waterhouse Coopers' 17th Annual Global CEO Survey¹, "95% (of healthcare CEOs) are exploring better ways of using and managing big data." However, that same survey reports, "Just 36% have made any headway in getting to grips with big data." Bob Kaplan, a professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, goes one step further and places responsibility for the rapid increase "in health spending partly on the industry's inability to measure cost and quality."²

"Medical practices all have to make staff schedules, yet very few understand how to use their scheduling data to keep control of overtime, make sure staff are being utilized effectively, and ensure fair call schedules," explains Rich Miller, CEO of OpenTempo, Inc.

In addition to explaining the most relevant calculations, the guide also provides 5 worksheets and 7 sample reports to help healthcare organizations begin applying what they learn. The guide is available as a free download from the OpenTempo website.  A sample chapter, "What Your CFO Wishes You Knew about Staff Scheduling," can be found here:  http://opentempo.com/staff-scheduling-cfo-wishes-knew/. The entire ebook can be accessed as a free download here:  http://connect.opentempo.com/opentempo-get-your-masters-staff-scheduling

Sources: 

¹http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-survey/2014/assets/pwc-17th-annual-global-ceo-survey-healthcare-key-findings.pdf 

²http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/retooling-hospitals-cost-data 

About OpenTempo

OpenTempo specializes in providing workforce optimization and staff scheduling solutions to hospitals and private medical practices across North America. For more information, please visit www.opentempo.com.

SOURCE OpenTempo