Intro: The
following SHSMD Podcast is a production of Dr. Podcasting.com.

Bill Klaproth (host): On this edition of the SHSMD
podcast and pull up a comfy chair, grab a tea, get a little blanket because
it's story time with Leanne, as we talk about how to tell a story, using data
analytics with Leanne Lambdin from Syntellis. So are you ready? You got the
chair? You got the tea? All right, it's story time with Leanne. So let's get to
it right now.

 This is the SHSMD
podcast, rapid insights for healthcare strategy professionals in planning,
business development, marketing, communications, and public relations. I'm your
host Bill Klaproth. In this episode, we talk with Leanne Lambdin senior
principal consultant at Syntellis and you can join Leanne and other expert
faculty at SHSMD's online course, the New Data Landscape in Healthcare,
Advanced Analytics for Strategists. You can learn more at SHSMD.org,
S-H-S-M-D.org/education, to learn more and to sign up. Leanne, thank you so
much for being here.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Thanks Bill. It's a pleasure to be
here.

Bill Klaproth (host): Yeah, absolutely. So healthcare
data, of course, is becoming more complex, so, as we talk about this data
visualization, what all can it help us with?

Lee Ann Lambdin: So as you mentioned, healthcare data is
becoming more and more complex and with business intelligence, we can take all
the data from different parts of an organization, financial data and market
data and clinical data and safety data and community data, and it can come out
the other side and we can make use of all that data for quality analysis,
safety, community health, strategic planning; anything you're doing in your
organization that requires a lot of data. It allows you to take huge amounts of
data and make it useful.

Bill Klaproth (host): Which I could see is very
beneficial. The human brain latches onto stories more than just a bunch of
facts and figures and numbers. So you mentioned it can also help us with
strategic planning. So how does data visualization serve in a strategic growth
plan?

Lee Ann Lambdin: Yeah, so data visualizations can help
answer some important strategic questions. For example, what's an appropriate
service area for this service line? What's the largest opportunities to
increase volume? What are our best opportunities to increase profitability?
What are our best opportunities to improve community health?

So if you're a strategic planner and you've been assigned the
project of finding mission fulfilling profitable growth opportunities, that
could be pretty daunting. So consider your ultimate audience, whether it's a
leadership team, c-suite, a board of directors, a department leader, a
physician group, and you're trying to convince them that your analysis is sound
and make a compelling argument for your findings. Are they going to want to
look through, as you said, all kinds spreadsheets that you poured over to
determine the opportunities? Or are they going to want to see data in a way
that they can take in and understand and believe, and then make decisions on?
So some of the best benefits of data visualization, in my opinion, is to be
able to see multiple pieces of data in one view. And it also can show
perspective that's not just a piece of data in isolation. For example, one of
my favorite visualizations, although some people think they're passe, are the
bubble charts and you can show service line volume, market share, and
profitability in one view.

And that imparts a lot of information in one visualization that
you may have to go to three different places to find before you create that
visualization. Another one of my favorites is a Sankey diagram. I was
introduced to this few years ago. It, they're good for physician referrals.
They're really good to show the flow of information, from a source to a
destination, and they sort of look like snakes. But, it's good for 0.1, 0.2, so
that's good for referrals, source, destination, referral.

Another is a block chart, which is great to show, for example,
how much revenue each service line contributes to the organization. And a block
chart is exactly what it sounds like. It has all the different blocks that
shows relative size of a piece of information. So when you use things like
that, you can put multiple pieces of information in one visualization. So
specifically to answer your question, the role I believe is to explore large
amounts of data, and then through iteration, use the best visualization to make
your case, which would be a convincing argument, a recommendation, and I say
iteration because if people are like me, my first few attempts are exploratory
visualizations, before I land on something that I can say, okay, this is the
visualization that I can use to recommend to this group people, this action.

Bill Klaproth (host): So this is very useful for, as you
said making a convincing argument, making a recommendation, telling a story,
which I said people latch onto stories more than facts and figures, helping you
to prove your point. So what are the tools that we use to create these bubble
charts and block charts where we can input all of this data and up pops this
really cool graphic? What are the tools we use for this?

Lee Ann Lambdin: I recently read an article on business
intelligence tools and market share, and this article said that Power BI had
the highest market share. That's a good tool. Power BI. Another Tableau that
was next. So let's see, Power BI had like 36% market share. Tableau had about
20. Then we had Qlik Sense. SAP or Analytics Cloud both had 11. IBM Cognos had
7% market share, and Looker had 6%. I believe Looker is a Google product, so if
you go to the internet and you Google data visualization resources, you're
going to find at least 50, but I just read, sort of the top. So at Syntellis we
use Power BI for our data visualizations.

And if you're a larger organization, you probably can get
access to one of these. A lot of our clients use Tableau for creating
organizational dashboards. And another thing that we do a lot of is mapping.
Cause maps are a great way to visualize data. People just love maps and for
example, we'll use a map to show market dominance which shows which facility
has dominant market share by zip code cause it's a really good way to see
market opportunities. And mapping can be as simple as a Google map who hasn't
used a Google map or ways, to a complicated Esri ArcGIS map.

So we use ArcGIS and it's fantastic. It's also a little
complicated. But you can overlay graphs over those geographies to show a payer
mix or market share trends. With mapping, you can drill down to a block group
or a census track or a zip code, and you can see utilization behavior, socio
demographics a lot easier, with mapping.

Bill Klaproth (host): So you use ArcGIS for that and I
was going to ask you, can you drill down to zip code? And you already answered
that and you can do that like blocks and

Lee Ann Lambdin: Yeah, you can go exactly. You can just
keep going and keep going and you can put all kinds of information in that. So
one example, we use a lot for community health needs assessments and we'll look
at behaviors all the way down to the block group and census tracks with
information from Esri.

And, you mentioned that data visualization is becoming this
huge trend and, really big deal in planning and strategy. So companies like
Syntellis and others like us have these data visualizations. As I mentioned, we
use Power BI but other companies, and I'm getting to the, what types of tools
can we for data visual?

There's to me, there's like third level and it's companies like
Syntellis and others who have visualizations in their products, but also do
data intake and curation, which those softwares off the shelf don't do. You
have do it yourself. But it, depends on what you have in your organization,
what level of expertise, what options you have.

So they can go from pretty simple off the shelf, BI and
mapping, all the way to data intake, curation and visualization cause there's
just a lot of options for visualization tools.

Bill Klaproth (host): Yeah. So you mentioned the top
three tools, Power BI, Tableau and Qlik Sense. And then for mapping the ArcGIS.
So we have the tools, we have the data, we've input it all. Say we've got the
visualization tools. Now what do we do with it? It sounds like, from what
you're saying, Leanne, is it's not as simple as put the data in, create the
cool chart, it sounds like, within that, you still have to have a story to tell
within the charts, or you might need multiple charts to get to that end point
of telling your story, to try to convince an argument or recommendation or
prove a point. Is that right? So it's not as simple as just put it in and it
spits out. There's more nuance to it than that. Is that right?

Lee Ann Lambdin: Definitely. If it was that easy,
everybody would be doing it.

Bill Klaproth (host): Yeah, so my question is, we have
all this stuff, now what do we do with it?

Lee Ann Lambdin: So this is really the most important
part. So as I mentioned earlier, the point of making a visualization is to win
hearts and minds for some kind of action or decision. And as Stephen Covey
said, begin with the end in mind.

Bill Klaproth (host): Oh I love that book. Love that
book. All right, just so anybody listening, Seven Habits of Highly Successful
People, that's what we're talking about. If you've never read it, after this
interview with Leanne, go to Amazon and buy it. You'll, thank me and you'll
thank Leanne. And you see us at SHSMD Connections 2023, you can thank us in
person. Okay. Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt Leanne.

Lee Ann Lambdin: No, that's fine. This habit number two,
I believe. Um, begin with the end in mind. So, as you're gathering that data
and creating visualizations, the hard part, but think about your ultimate
audience and think about how they prefer to see the information. So I've only
worked for one person in my 30 year career who preferred to see the
spreadsheets over a visualization.

You know who you are, Marvin. Um, but at this point you turn
toward the final deliverable and the story that you're trying to tell. So
people expect to see a story told visually with this data. So, outline your
story on paper, put the slides together, then present to yourself. So this is
the best way to figure out if one, the visualizations are the correct ones, if
they're in the right order and if they're telling, and two, if they're telling
a compelling story. So, I had a coworker say the other day, I'm not kidding, this
was like last week, if you get tired trying to explain what's on a slide. Then
you're not there yet. Like that's not the visualization that you need. So you
may have to go through, as I mentioned, several iterations of the presentation
until you get that sweet spot. But it'll be worthwhile when your audience gets
the story, is moved by it, makes a decision. So in short, you've got to make
sure that that information is seen and understood and acted on. Or you've just
gone through a great exercise in how to make pictures with data.

Bill Klaproth (host): Right. You don't want the end
result to be, Hey, nice pictures. So I follow Donald Miller. He does a thing
called StoryBrand. You can look him up. He's got a great website. He's got
books, all kinds of things, but he says in business, you should follow a story
pattern. It's a seven step procedure.

You start with a character. What does the character want? The
character encounters a problem. The character meets a guide who completely
understands the problem and shows empathy, who then presents a plan, the steps
to follow in the plan. And if the plan is followed, results in success. If the
plan isn't followed, results in failure. So it's a whole procedure for laying
out the story.

And starting with the end in mind is always a great idea. So
let me ask you this question. And I think I know the answer, when formulating a
story through data, what is the most important thing to remember? I know you
said before, make sure you consider the audience. But when you boil all this
down Lee Ann, what is the most important thing to remember when creating a
story through data?

Lee Ann Lambdin: Oh my gosh.

Bill Klaproth (host): I put you on the spot.

Lee Ann Lambdin: You did, you did.

Bill Klaproth (host): I put you on the spot.

Lee Ann Lambdin: So, you know how there's that saying,
you can make statistics say anything you want them to?

Bill Klaproth (host): Sure.

Lee Ann Lambdin: There's lies and damn lies and
statistics. So I think the most important thing when you're creating your
visualization, and you're looking at the data, is to be true to what the data
says.

For example, don't mess with an axis of a graph to make it look
like there's this huge increase. You know how you can manipulate?

Bill Klaproth (host): Yes, you can, you can bend the
numbers to tell the story you want to tell when the numbers really don't back
that up, but you can bend them in a way to reach a narrative that you want to
sell, if you will. Does that make sense?

Lee Ann Lambdin: Right. So to me that's the most important
thing is let the data tell its story.

Bill Klaproth (host): Right.

Lee Ann Lambdin: You're there to help it.

Bill Klaproth (host): Don't bend it into the way you
want it to go.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Right, right. It's going to tell the
story. So if you have a hypothesis that you need to increase your cardiology
market share in your eastern segment of your market, and the data shows that,
no, really it's orthopedics in the western section. Go with that story. That's
the one the data's telling. And you can look at cardiology later and say, you
know, we thought this. But the data shows this, so it's just as helpful to rule
out things as it is to rule in things that you need to do.

Bill Klaproth (host): Yep. That's a great point. I love
that. And see, I'm glad I asked that question. I'm glad I put you on the spot.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Okay. Me too.

Bill Klaproth (host): That was great. So is data
visualization for everybody Lee Ann? People, even in smaller rural markets to
the big players?

Lee Ann Lambdin: Yes, definitely. So if you're in a
rural hospital, which I have quite a bit of experience with rural hospitals,
you have Excel, you have PowerPoint, let's say you're a nurse and you want to
look at your clinic volume and you can go on YouTube and learn how to do some
graphs and some mapping on Excel if you don't have that experience.

And just make some graphs. Start with the simplest data
visualizations, and then work your way up. Work with people in your org.
There's somebody in your organization who's an Excel wizard. There just is.
There always is. Find that person, get them to help you out, create simple
visualizations making your case, telling your story, and then ,just work your
way into the more complicated tools.

Yeah, this is for rural hospitals. This is for clinics, this is
for any organization. If you have a budget at home, sometimes you need graphs
to help see what is going on. So, visualizations can be used to me, cause you
know, I'm a planner in any walk of life to help make decisions, from simple to
complicated.

Bill Klaproth (host): Very well said. And we've been
focusing on strategic planning, but as you said earlier, quality, safety,
community health needs, you can use data visualization for many things.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Yes.

Bill Klaproth (host): Well, this has been great, Lee Ann
I've enjoyed talking to you and I know that your educational online course, the
New Data Landscape in Healthcare, Advancing Analytics for Strategists is going
to be dynamite.

Can you just give us a brief overview of that and what we're
going to walk away with?

Lee Ann Lambdin: Oh, I can, it's going to be really
good. So, Mine is part one, Your Data is Talking to You. Can you Hear It?

I know. It's got a, great title so.

Bill Klaproth (host): I love it.

Lee Ann Lambdin: So a lot of the things we've talked
about here, categories and examples of business intelligence GIS, geographic
information systems. We're going to walk through some example case studies of
how to use these data visualizations to tell your story, show a lot of examples
of the kinds of graphs and visualizations that I've mentioned. Go over the
basics of how you get all that data into this big data warehouse. You can tell
I'm not a techie per se. I'm on the output end, but show a little about how
these data warehouses work. Yeah, and walk through a case study and we're going
to have maps and tables and graphs and hopefully it'll really help the
attendees at the webinar see that it can be simple to complicated. And the most
important part is to get to the storytelling, which will be part two and
someone else will cover that.

But it leads right in the storytelling. Or actually we might be
after the storytelling. Anyway, we're together cause storytelling's important.

Bill Klaproth (host): It'll all be in there.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Yeah. It'll all be in there.

Bill Klaproth (host): And it sounds like for someone
listening to this podcast right now thinking, you know what? This is really
interesting and I want to look into this. I antto learn more. This sounds like
a great start for that learning. Is this online course. Obviously you can still
go on YouTube and research and do your own, but attending this online course
sounds like a great place to start.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Well with SHSMD, Society for Healthcare
Strategy and Market Development, affectionately known as SHSMD. What SHSMD is
doing really well with these courses are giving people the tools they need to
do their job. And it can be entry level strategic planners all the way up to 30
year strategic planners. I have attended these myself and I learn something in
every one of them. And it's just really beneficial to have that membership
organization have these classes to help really develop everybody's skills and
talents.

Bill Klaproth (host): So true. There's no question about
that, and I know SHSMD has been invaluable to so many people for their
education. And the networking is so valuable as well, meeting other people in
the industry and through the conference and even the online courses. It's just
very beneficial. Well, Lee Ann, thank you so much and I know the online course
is going to be wonderful.

If you're interested in this, the one that Lee Ann is doing,
The New Data Landscape and Healthcare Advanced Analytics for Strategists just
go to shsmd.org. That's s-h-s-m-d.org/education to learn more and to sign up.
Lee Ann, this has been a pleasure. Thank you so much for your time. We
appreciate it.

Lee Ann Lambdin: Yeah, Bill, this has been great. Thanks
for having me.

Bill Klaproth (host): And once again, that's Lee Ann
Lambdin. And if you found this podcast helpful and how could you not, please
share it on all of your social channels and please hit the subscribe or follow
button to get every episode. And remember to join us at SHSMD Connections 2023,
September 10th through the 12th in Chicago, Illinois. Register at
shsmd.org/education/annualconference. This has been a production of Dr.
Podcasting. I'm Bill Klaproth. See ya.