The Data Science to Patient Value (D2V) Navigation Lab

BRAD MORSE PhD, MA on behalf of MICHAEL HO, PhD
Research Instructor, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus – D2V

The National Academy of Medicine defines a Learning Health System as a health system that assembles, analyzes, and interprets data. Findings are leveraged to adapt and improve delivery of patient-centered care. A challenge for a Learning Health System is responsive learning and adapting, i.e., thinking differently to address what seem like problems that can be managed with the application of traditional methods. To assist UCHealth and Children’s Hospital of Colorado with this process, the Navigation Lab (NavLab) performs interdisciplinary evaluation of health system clinical programs and initiatives.

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus/UCHealth Learning Health System. The NavLab works with physicians and departments serving the many patients that utilize the network of hospitals associated with the Learning Health System. Due to the unique setting in which the NavLab works, our projects engage a diverse spectrum of communities within the general population.

The NavLab’s multidisciplinary team includes a health economist, systems engineer, biostatisticians, qualitative analysts, clinicians, analytics developers, user experience (UX) designer, and a program manager. The NavLab utilizes an interdisciplinary approach for program evaluation including comparative effectiveness analysis, economic evaluation, workflow and staffing assessment, and user-center design. The team engages health system partners to identify opportunities for Quality Improvement (QI). Stakeholder engagement is critical for all evaluations in terms of defining the scope of the QI and how change, effectiveness, or efficiency will be measured.

NavLab evaluations include interdisciplinary outcomes related to care quality, efficiency, and cost savings from multiple perspectives to improve the healthcare system.

The NavLab’s next steps include expanding use of economic modelling, workflow evaluations and simulations, user-center design, and predictive analytics with operational and clinical partners.