Case Study

AHRQ Quality Indicators (QI)

Custom Application
Reporting Dashboards
Business Analytics
Data Collection
Outcomes Measurement System
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Doctor speaking to other doctors
BACKGROUND

OVERVIEW

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) develops and maintains the Quality Indicators (QIs), which are used by hospitals, administrators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to measure and improve healthcare quality. These indicators rely on readily available hospital administrative data to identify areas for improvement and establish a baseline for better care delivery. AHRQ’s QI software—CloudQI, WinQI and SAS QI—was developed by Pantheon to help hospitals, administrators, policymakers, and other stakeholders analyze and improve healthcare quality.

 

AHRQ QI Dashboard
AHRQ QI Data Upload
AHRQ QI Load Data
AHRQ QI Data Mapping
AHRQ QI Indicator Progress
AHRQ QI Reporting Summary
AHRQ QI case report tabular view
AHRQ QI case details report classic view
AHRQ QI Composite Report
AHRQ QI Patient Level Report
WHAT WE DID

SERVICES PERFORMED

  • - Health data analytics using SAS
  • - Discovery and business analysis
  • - Dissemination and outreach
  • - User Support desk and training
  • - Users’ engagement and conferences support
  • - API-driven development of a Windows-based application
  • - Maintain public documentation for 60+ quality indicators
  • - Quality assurance and automated testing
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AHRQ QI Dashboard
HOW WE DID IT

OUR APPROACH

To address AHRQ’s challenges, Pantheon designed a forward-thinking, user-centered approach that focused on innovation, efficiency, and accuracy. The following strategies were implemented:

 

 

Discovery and Business Analysis 

Pantheon conducted interviews with senior and technical leaders from various organizations using the AHRQ QI software. Stakeholders included managers driving quality improvement initiatives and technical teams responsible for software installation and report generation. These insights informed the design and enhancements of the tools.

API-driven Development

We adopted an API-first approach to create reusable, consistent APIs that powered the Windows-based CloudQI and WinQI software. This approach enabled third-party vendors to integrate their products seamlessly with the AHRQ QI calculation engine.

Automated Quality Assurance 

To maintain accuracy and reliability across software updates, we developed a robust testing pipeline. Automated tests simulated various scenarios to identify anomalies in updates, halting the pipeline and alerting our team to ensure swift resolution.

Workflow Automation

By automating processes involved in software updates, we reduced delays, minimized user burdens, and ensured timely distribution of annual updates.

RESULTS

THE SOLUTION

Pantheon developed and piloted an innovative, four-part solution to streamline software updates and reduce maintenance costs. The solution improved user experience, documentation accuracy, and integration capabilities, enabling:   

  • - Workflow automation for annual updates
  • - API development for seamless integrations
  • - Data transformation for enhanced analysis
  • - Dashboard reporting for actionable insights
  • - End-to-end test automation
  • - Containerized software distribution for simplified deployment

  • - The solution was successfully prototyped and piloted, later incorporated into AHRQ QI products for broader release as CloudQI. 

     

    Learn more about CloudIQ