International Institute for Analytics

There’s been a lot of discussion about the shortage of quantitative analysts and data scientists in this world, and many people wonder where they will all come from. Today I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that there are a rapidly growing number of educational institutions that are offering courses, concentrations, and degree programs in analytics and big data.

How will employers and other payers provide healthcare coverage for their employees in the next 5 years? How will consumers respond? What will be the impact on prescription drug use?

With all of the lawsuits working through the courts and all of the scary possibilities being discussed in the media, it has led some people to assume that big data is inherently evil. Once you believe that big data is evil, a natural response is to try and shut down the collection and analysis of big data to the maximum extent possible. While big data certainly has risks, it would be a classic case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater if the use of big data is shut down.

What should be considered when establishing relationships between analytics teams and IT resources and partners?

The press and blogosphere are full of references to “The Internet of Things” (TIoT) or even “The Internet of Everything.” It’s great to connect inanimate objects to the Internet, of course. But that’s only a first step in terms of doing something useful with all those connected devices. “The Analytics of Things” are just as important, if not more so.

Written by Andrew Fast, Ph.D. and John F. Elder, IV, Ph.D.

Many estimates claim that over 80% of the world’s data is stored as unstructured text. Whatever the exact proportion, there is no denying that a significant amount of valuable information is stored within free-text documents such as reports, memorandums, and correspondence. Text is also stored as “notes” or “free-text” fields within an otherwise structured database. While some of the results presented in a report may also be available as structured data, the most important insights – such as expert opinions or final conclusions - are almost always only available as free text. This also holds for call center notes, electronic medical records, and claims notes.

Many organizations are focused on driving analytics as a foundation for competitive advantage. Often overlooked in this discussion is the importance of establishing a foundation for analytics through the process of data readiness and data cleansing.

An IIA ERS Client asks if IIA has a framework for choosing the right analytics projects and if so, what are the characteristics to look for when selecting the project and if there are red flags that should dissuade an individual from starting a new project.

Improving an organization’s knowledge about their customers, adding value to each point of contact with customers, and measuring the effectiveness of these efforts to find more business opportunity are all important ingredients for cross sell analytics or next best offer. In this client phone briefing, IIA Faculty member, Robin Way, CEO of Corios, explains how organizations can utilize data and analytics to find opportunities with existing customers across all industries.

Person Centered Analytics for Health sets a new course for health analytics that focuses on the outcomes that matter most to people, a long and healthy life, and it provides the navigation and tools to get there. This emerging trend has resulted from the fusion of five converging realities: The American way of producing health is failing, people are the drivers for making it happen, converging trends demand it, everyday behavior changes are the interventions that matter, and analytics provide new insights to catalyze it.