The dataset is obtained from: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/cms/hospital-general-information

My goals were to answer the following questions:

• How does the number of hospitals vary across US states?
• What is the KPI for the total number of hospitals in the US?
• What are the KPIs for the number and percentage of hospitals by ownership type in the US?
• How is the overall rating of US hospitals determined?
• How many US hospitals exceed the national average mortality rate?
• How many US hospitals offer emergency services?
• How many US hospitals adhere to the meaningful use of EHRs?

Data Cleaning Report

• Creating a new column called Hospital ownership (groups) that categorizes the hospitals into three groups based on their ownership type: government, voluntary, and others.
• Removing or hiding some columns that were not relevant or useful for the dashboard analysis, such as hospital ID, phone number, address, etc.
• Fill in the missing values in the country name column by using the city column to find the corresponding country name for each hospital.

Data Visualization Report

• Using Power BI customized charts to display the data in an effective and engaging way.
• Choosing a color scheme that reflects the theme and purpose of the dashboard. The colors used are:

1. White: Represents the cleanliness and safety of the hospital.
2. Blue: Represents the calming and relaxing effect of the hospital on the patients and staff.
3. Green: Represents the freshness and healing potential of the hospital.
4. Yellow: Represents the happiness and cheerfulness of the children's ward.
5. Red: Represents the passion and urgency of the emergency service and other critical issues.

• Making the dashboard interactive and user-friendly by allowing users to filter, sort, and drill down on the data as they wish.
• Using plain and easy-to-understand words to guide the users through the KPIs and charts in the dashboard.

Dashboard Insight Report

• The overall rating of the hospitals in the US is low, with an average of 2.3 out of 5. This indicates that there is room for improvement in the quality and satisfaction of hospital care.
• The total number of hospitals in the US is 4,812, with a majority (59.4%) being voluntary non-profit hospitals, followed by government-owned (22.4%) and other types (18.2%) of hospitals. The distribution of hospital ownership may reflect the different financial, governance, and mission aspects of the hospitals.
• The most common type of hospital in the US is acute care hospital, which accounts for 70% of all hospitals, followed by critical access hospital (28%), and children hospital (2%). The type of hospital may indicate the level and scope of care that the hospital provides.
• The mortality rate of the hospitals in the US varies widely, with over 400 hospitals having higher than expected infection rates and over 300 hospitals having lower than expected infection rates. The infection rate is a risk-adjusted measure of hospital-acquired infections that can affect patient safety and quality of care.
• The emergency service is a common and essential feature of hospital care, with over 93% of hospitals having emergency departments that provide timely and lifesaving interventions for acutely ill and injured patients.
• The meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) is a high priority for health care delivery, with over 97% of hospitals meeting the criteria for using certified EHRs in a way that improves health care outcomes and efficiency.
• The geographic distribution of hospitals in the US shows that Los Angeles has the highest number of hospitals in the country (83), followed by Cook (51), Jefferson (47), Washington (44), Montgomery (43) etc. The number of hospitals in a city may reflect the population size, density, and diversity of the city, as well as the demand and supply of health care services.
• The distribution of hospitals by type and state shows that Orange has the highest number of children hospitals in the country (4), Los Angeles has the highest number of acute care hospitals in the country (79), Lincoln has the highest number of critical access hospitals in the country (21). The number of hospitals by type and state may reflect the specific health needs and preferences of each state’s population.

Recommendations from the insights

• To increase the overall rating of the hospitals, it is important to identify and address the factors that affect the quality and satisfaction of hospital care, such as patient safety, outcomes, experience, and value. Some examples of strategies that can improve these factors are implementing evidence-based practices, enhancing patient engagement, reducing disparities, and promoting transparency.
• To optimize the distribution of hospital ownership, it is useful to examine the advantages and disadvantages of each type of ownership, such as their financial performance, quality of care, access to services, and social responsibility. Some examples of policies that can balance these aspects are encouraging collaboration and coordination among different types of hospitals, providing incentives and subsidies for non-profit and government hospitals, and regulating the market power and pricing of for-profit hospitals.
• To diversify the type of hospital, it is beneficial to consider the needs and preferences of different populations and communities, such as their health status, demographics, geography, and culture. Some examples of initiatives that can expand the range and scope of hospital care are supporting the development and integration of specialty hospitals, such as children’s hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and rehabilitation hospitals, promoting the adoption and innovation of telehealth and mobile health services, and facilitating the access and referral to critical access hospitals in rural areas.
• To reduce the mortality rate of the hospitals, it is essential to prevent and control the hospital-acquired infections that can cause serious complications and deaths among patients. Some examples of measures that can lower the infection rate by implementing strict hygiene and sterilization protocols, screening and isolating patients with infectious diseases, monitoring and reporting infection data, and educating staff and patients about infection prevention.
• To improve the emergency service of the hospitals, it is necessary to ensure the availability, timeliness, and quality of emergency care for acutely ill and injured patients. Some examples of actions that can enhance the emergency service are increasing the capacity and efficiency of emergency departments, reducing the waiting time and crowding of patients, improving the triage and treatment of patients, and coordinating with other healthcare providers and emergency responders.
• To sustain the meaningful use of EHRs in the hospitals, it is important to maintain and improve the functionality, and security of EHRs in a way that supports healthcare delivery and improvement. Some examples of practices that can achieve the meaningful use of EHRs are updating and upgrading EHR systems to meet the latest standards and requirements, ensuring the compatibility and exchange of EHR data among different healthcare organizations and systems, protecting the privacy and confidentiality of EHR data from unauthorized access or breach, and engaging patients in accessing and managing their EHR data.

For more: https://github.com/Star-cj/hospital_information_us.git