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Rapid Analysis |
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Analysis takes time and reflection. People must be lined up and their views sought. Ideas need to be sorted through. Data needs to be collected, stored and retrieved, examined and displayed. Completing the analysis, writing the report and presenting the findings takes time and it should. Often at the end of this grueling effort, analysis identifies need for further inquiry and therefore it creates more delays for decision makers. Policymakers and managers may find the analysis taking too long. They may have to decide without the full benefit of the analysis and many do. This chapter focuses on how analysis could be made faster without sacrificing its quality. Clearly, doing a thoughtful analysis takes time. There is no point to hurry and produce a sub-optimal analysis. But are there ways to complete analysis faster and yet maintain the quality of the work? To understand what we can do to speed things up, one needs to understand what takes time. One could imagine analysis consisting of distinct phases:
Each of these phases can be speeded up. Here is how this can be done. Speedup PreparationThorough preparation can lead to significant time savings in conduct of an analysis. This section lists specific recommendations regarding what should be done to be better prepared. 1. Draft the final report at the startOne of the simplest steps an analyst can take to reduce time from start of project (signing the contract) to the end of the project is to do a more thorough planning. In particular, it would be helpful to draft the final report (the introduction, the methods section, the results section), with all related tables and appendices at start of the project (Alemi, Moore, Headrick, Neuhauser, Hekelman, Kizys, 1998). Obviously the data will not be available to fill the report but one could put in the best guess for the data. This exercise speeds up analysis in several ways. First, it communicates precisely to decision makers what the final results will look like. It reduces confusion and saves the time spent on clarifying the procedures of the analysis. Second, it clarifies to the analyst what data are needed and identifies the sources of these data. Third, it clarifies what procedures should be followed to produce the Tables and Figures in the report. Obviously the data and the final report will be different but the exercise of putting the report together at the beginning of the meeting goes a long way in making sure that only relevant data are collected and time is not wasted on diversions. A good example of drafting the report before the data is available is the process of generating automatic content on the web. The text of the report is prepared ahead of the data collection and portions of the report that depend on specific data are left as a variable to be read from a database. When the data are available, the final report is generated automatically. 2. Avoid group kick-off meetings Another step that can speedup preparations is to meet individually with decision makers, even before the full kick-off meeting. Individual meetings are easier to arrange and require less coordination. Furthermore, as we discussed in the Chapter on Modeling Group's decisions, individual meetings facilitate later larger face-to-face meetings. 3. Get access to the right experts and through them to right dataA third step is to search for external experts that understand the situation clearly and do not require additional time to orient themselves. On any topic, there are numerous experts available. Finding the right expert is difficult but important in saving time and gaining access to resources that only the expert has access to. Automated method of finding experts in a particular topic are widely available. One such tool is the Medline database. One could search a topic in Medline and find the authors who have published in the area. Most articles include contact information for the author. In this fashion, one could quickly put together a list of experts in a topic -- no matter how minutely it is defined. For example, suppose the analyst needs to examine merger between two hospitals.
Figure 1: Three Steps to Identifying Relevant Subject Matter Experts
In addition to searching the Medline databases, it maybe useful to search CRISP, a database of National Institute of Health funded projects (see http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/). CRISP is useful in identifying researchers who are currently collecting data. Many have thought through the issue and may have preliminary data that could be useful in the analysis. Finally, we also recommend searching Google's Scholar database for names of people who might have special expertise or knowledge of the issue being modeled. Google scholar is at http://scholar.google.com Once a preliminary list has been identified, then the analyst contacts members of the list and asks them if they are aware of others who are doing research in this area, who might have access to specific databases, or who might be able to provide valid opinions on estimates needed in the analysis. The important advice is to use automated databases to search wide for one or two people who best fit the planned analysis. Choosing the right person can significantly improve access to various pieces of information and in the process reduce the time it takes to complete the analysis. Speedup Data Collection
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| Current BCHS | Under NHI | |
| Total cost of care | $1,222 | $1,222 |
| Payments by BCHS | 64 | |
| Payments by third parties (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance | 470 | 8 |
| Payments by NHI | - | 685 |
| Premiums paid by users | 7 | 92 |
| Deductibles, co-payments | 109 | 529 |
| Total cost to users | 116 | 621 |
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Table 1: Estimated Annual Costs for Community Health Centers |
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The simulation was repeated under different NHI bills and proposals and for different BCHS populations. The key surprise finding was that NHI would raise barriers to access, not remove them, at least for several segments of the poor. A sensitivity analysis was done to see how much estimated variables had to change before the conclusions of the analysis would change. í
The point of this example was to show how quick analysis could be done through simulation and subjective probability. Although simulation is a powerful research tool, its utility has been limited by the absence of a strong database. This study suggested that subjective estimates from respected experts can be effective surrogates for solid empirical data.
This chapter has shown 14 ways of speeding up analysis without affecting the quality of the work. If analysis can be done quickly and accurately, then decision makers are more likely to use decision analysis.
1. More thorough planning speeds up report creation. What is the primary reasons why drafting the final report "at the start" speeds up the analysis?
2. Experts are naturally familiar with the subjects of their expertise. But how could you as a person not familiar with the field find the right expert? What is an automatic method of finding experts in a particular topic?
3. Researchers often overestimate the need for data. When is a small sample adequate for surveying?
4. Subjective and objective data can be used for research. When can subjective opinions be a reliable source of data?
5. Explain how a 200-variable model could be analyzed with only 50 cases as opposed to 10 times the number of variables in the model?
6. What does “degrees of freedom” mean and how is this relevant to rapid analysis?
7. Why would automated data collection not only be faster, but more accurate than data gathered by individuals?
8. All statistical sources can have problems with missing data, noise and outliers. What is the value of setting procedures for cleaning the data even before it is collected?
9. There are ways to anticipate data findings before a complete set of data is available. How can the early estimate of the probability of an event be assessed from two observations of the event?
10. In the example give for Bureau of Community Health Services, what data was subjective and not from primary sources?
Send your response by email to your instructor. Include both the question and the answers in your response.
Alemi, F.; Stephens, R.C.; and Butts, J. Case management: A telecommunications practice model. In: Ashery, R.S., ed. Progress and Issues in Case Management. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1992. pp. 261-273.
Alemi F, Moore S, Headrick L, Neuhauser D, Hekelman F, Kizys N. Rapid improvement teams. Jt Comm J Qual Improv. 1998 Mar;24(3):119-29.
Bauer P, Brannath W. The advantages and disadvantages of adaptive designs for clinical trials. Drug Discov Today. 2004 Apr 15;9(8):351-7.
Newman JC, Des Jarlais DC, Turner CF, Gribble J, Cooley P, Paone D. The differential effects of face-to-face and computer interview modes. Am J Public Health. 2002 Feb;92(2):294-7.
Posch M, Bauer P, Brannath W. Issues in designing flexible trials. Stat Med. 2003 Mar 30;22(6):953-69.
Schafer H, Muller HH. Construction of group sequential designs in clinical trials on the basis of detectable treatment differences. Stat Med. 2004 May 15;23(9):1413-24.
Shapiro JS, Bessette MJ, Baumlin KM, Ragin DF, Richardson LD. Automating research data collection. Acad Emerg Med. 2004 Nov;11(11):1223-8
In groups of three, conduct a time and motion study of how students complete the biweekly projects in this class. At least, analyze three student projects to see what activities the time was spent on. Identify the time various components of the activities take and suggest how the work can be speeded up. The following table suggests a set of task, though you may want to focus on other tasks as well:
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Task |
Start |
End |
Total work hours |
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1. Preparation |
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o Receive assignment & understand work to be done |
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o Coordinate kick off meeting to clarify purpose & scope of the work |
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o Find relevant experts and decision makers |
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o Design study instruments and survey forms |
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2. Data collection |
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o Collect observations |
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o Collect experts opinions |
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o Store data |
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3. Analyze data |
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o Retrieve data |
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o Clean the data (classify data; check distribution and range of data, edit data) |
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o Examine accuracy of data (Check for errors in logic, check for errors in transfer of data) |
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o Examine if experts were in consensus |
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o Calculate expected values or model scores |
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o Calculate the correspondence between model and experts' judgments |
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4. Presentation |
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o Prepare report & distribute draft report |
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o Prepare presentation |
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o Get input from audience before meeting |
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o Present results at meeting |
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In your report analyze the total time lapsed between the start and end of each task and the total time spent working on the task. Explain why there is a difference between lapsed time and time worked on the task. For each task, describe what can be done to reduce the difference between lapsed and worked time.
Describe the prerequisites of each task by showing what needs to be accomplished before the task is started. Use a table such as this in your report:
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Task |
Cannot start until the following task is completed |
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1. Receive assignment & understand work to be done |
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2. Coordinate kick off meeting to clarify purpose & scope of the work |
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3. Find relevant experts and decision makers |
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4. Design study instruments and survey forms |
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5. Collect observations |
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6. Collect experts opinions |
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7. Store data |
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8. Retrieve data |
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9. Clean the data (classify data; check distribution and range of data, edit data) |
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10. Examine accuracy of data (Check for errors in logic, check for errors in transfer of data) |
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11. Examine if experts were in consensus |
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12. Calculate expected values or model scores |
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13. Calculate the correspondence between model and experts' judgments |
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14. Prepare report & distribute draft report |
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15. Prepare presentation |
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16. Get input from audience before meeting |
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17. Present results at meeting |
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Review the task prerequisites to identify the critical path (these are tasks that if delayed would delay the completion of the project). Provide advice on how to start on critical tasks sooner, what to do to remove the dependency of between the critical task and its prerequisites.
Review the 14 recommendations in this chapter and describe how they are the same or different from your recommendations.
The following resources are available for understanding this chapter:
In this section, you will find answers to questions asked by you or others.
Question: For an analyst that is unfamiliar with the format of these reports, is there a good source to see some "best practice" reports (as far as structure, presentation, clarity)? Answer: There is no one good format of reports, although in general they can be arranged in format similar to scientific papers, with introduction, methodology, results, and conclusions. The actual format of report depends on the specific setting and what decision maker wants. Asked on 1/25/2010 2:14:18 PM and answered on 1/29/2010 4:03:11 PM.
Question: When seeking out the advice/data of other experts in order to accelerate decision analysis, what concerns or considerations should we be aware of? Will other researchers be concerned about sharing their data and how it will be used? What can we do as analysts to overcome these concerns? Answer: All of these are important questions. First of all, an analyst needs to make sure who is the right expert, and that expert is not biased (i.e. has own preference on one of possible actions). By correctly arranging an interview the analyst should make sure that no important information is missing from that expert. It is also possible to interview more than one expert. This way it may be possible to see if one of experts is not omitting important information. Detailed explanation of the purpose of the analysis should verify all experts' concerns on how the information/data will be used. Asked on 1/25/2010 2:02:17 PM and answered on 1/29/2010 4:00:39 PM.
Question: In section 9: Use technology for data collection, I was a bit unclear on what kind of technology was being utilized. for example, would the people use a keyboard to input their answers or was it voice enabled. And if it was not voice enabled - do you think eventually it will be? I do see the advantage of technology, but what about security. Do you see any security issues that could be problematic in the near future? Answer: Most of the time, data collection tecnology refers to use of computer assisted data entry or computerized data entry. For example, a computer calls patients and they respond by pressing keys on the telephone and the data is captured in the computer Asked on 6/1/2006 3:49:16 PM and answered on 6/6/2006 4:09:30 PM.
Question: When will you not use subjective data or experts opinions? When would you do primary data collection? Answer: You would not rely on experts when experts do not know or are not familiar with the questions you are asking. You would also not use expert opinion when experts do not agree among themselves. Finally, you will rely on primary data collection when you want to discover new, previously unknown, generalizable principles. Asked on 2/7/2004 8:52:54 PM and answered on 2/7/2004 9:00:30 PM.
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Suggestion: The example helped in understanding some concepts such as subjective and objective data and when to use subjective data. Lecture is easy to follow when it is read twice. Comment made on 2/1/2011 12:13:11 AM.
Suggestion: I think the example at the end of this lecture was helpful in understanding how rapid analysis can take place in the "real" world and specifically how subjective data can be used to accelerate the analysis process. Comment made on 1/25/2010 2:32:02 PM.
Suggestion: The course material followed the printed material quite well and elaborated when appropriate. The technology interfered with the learning. I was unable to pause the recording and the voice track seemed disjointed at times. An improvement is to stress the practical nature of these tips. A statistician could take offense at several comments. Comment made on 1/23/2010 8:11:51 PM.
Suggestion: The detail example at the end really helped to explain the concept of relying on subjective data to speedup data collection. As far as what could be improved: An example coud of been given to illustrate section 10, clean the data & generate reports automatically. Comment made on 6/1/2006 3:36:20 PM.
Suggestion: The detal example at the end really helped to explain te=he concept of relying on subjective data to speedup data collection. Comment made on 6/1/2006 3:33:01 PM.
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Suggestion: It was very helpful to assign this lecture as to be read in the beginning of the semester. It helped alot in understanding the process for rapid analysis and the other analysis we used after. Comment made on 4/14/2006 12:45:57 AM.
Suggestion: I really liked this section. I think it does a good job of summarizing the process. I definately agree that understanding how the study is going to be done before you start interviewing people is necessary for a rapid study. However, I also think it is important for any study. On most of my BiWeekly Assignements that was the biggest problem. I didn't understand the data analysis section well enought to really understand the questions I needed to ask and those I didn't. I ended up having to go back to my experts multipule times which definatly slowed things down. Doing a study in two weeks is a rapid study. Maybe doing this lecturer earlier in the semester would have been helpful. Comment made on 8/10/2005 11:15:16 AM.