Authors: Kiara Sitiriche & Gabriela Soto-Canetti
Data is the most important aspect when it comes to pursuing a company’s survival. Making decisions based on data can make or break any public health institution. We live in a world where data is accessible to anyone and everyone, but simply having access to the data is not enough. Transforming that data into information is essential to health care systems and public health organizations that want to understand the reasons behind health outcomes and generate solutions for them.
Acquiring valuable information from data is not exactly a difficult task, but it does require time and patience. From data, you not only obtain information, but insights. Nevertheless, insights, data and information are different terms.
- Data is the raw and unprocessed facts that can be measured or observed and lives in databases or spreadsheets.
- Information is data that has already been organized into a format that provides context and is easier to understand.
- Insights are the conclusions that are drawn from the information in order to make decisions and drive change in people’s lives.
It is important to successfully distinguish these three concepts since information is what helps generate insights in order to provide evidence-based decisions.
According to The Council on Quality and Leadership, there are 12 reasons as to why data is so important. However, there are two reasons that stand out the most: getting the results you want and finding solutions to problems. These are two realities that companies, especially in the public health field, face and constantly strive to resolve. Data is the main key driver in public health interventions because it can be used to visualize disease trends among populations and monitor the progress of current interventions. Data can also help establish better relations with clients and even patients in healthcare institutions. Let’s face it, without data and the information it can provide, public health goals cannot be achieved.
Therefore, understanding the importance of data in public health means nothing if it’s not put to the test. Every public health organization should have a department that specializes in data analysis and if they do not, it’s time they start thinking about it. Before any important business decision, there should be some type of data that backs it up. However, even these departments need help when it comes to interpreting information and generating insights. That’s why certain platforms like Matrix2Metrics exist. By allowing organizations to acquire already analyzed public health information, Matrix2Metrics enables a significantly faster and more efficient way for institutions to make their business processes. Having reliable health care is an essential part of every society. This means using data-driven decisions to not only invest in the future of an organization by investing in a platform like Matrix2Metrics, but you are also contributing to the future of society by optimizing health measures and potentially saving lives.
