Policy & Practice August 2018

POLICY DECISIONS continued from page 30

2015, the Massachusetts Legislature passed Chapter 55, which encouraged five agencies to share 10 administra- tive data sets related to opioid use and to work with stakeholders to perform comprehensive analyses to deter- mine the root causes and risk factors of opioid-related overdose deaths. Subsequent research showed that illegally obtained drugs caused more deaths than prescribed opioid medica- tions and that individuals released from prison were 56 times more likely to die from an overdose than were people who had not been in prison. These useful insights came about only because the legislature demonstrated its commitment to creating a culture of using data as a strategic asset. Moving Forward This study found that no state is consistently applying the five recom- mended actions on strategic use of data to a broad range of government agencies or achieving widespread improvements in policy development, service delivery, resource manage- ment, and current program evaluation. However, states recognize the need to invest resources toward planning, building capacity, sharing data, ana- lyzing data to create meaningful information, and sustaining data efforts. As agencies begin to more con- sistently share and integrate data and deploy advanced analytical methods, harnessing the insights held within administrative data will only become easier. As a result, they will benefit greatly from realizing the potential of data analytics in making government more efficient, effective, and respon- sive to major public problems.

Before this partnership, Delaware did not have the capacity to conduct extensive data analytics to inform decision-making. 3. Ensure that quality data can be accessed and used by stakeholders. Before staff can effectively use data, it must be able to access it. This requires agencies to improve data quality and accessibility, often by establishing data-sharing agreements and protocols among offices within a department, across other offices within an agency, or externally with other government agencies or stakeholders. Illinois created a uniform data-sharing agree- ment for all state human services agencies—which has encouraged cross- agency collaboration and access to data that could help improve client services while protecting client privacy. This has helped state agencies develop a deeper understanding of the clients they serve, for example, by allowing the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to understand how its clients interact with the Medicaid program. 4. Analyze data to create mean- ingful information. If done well, extracting information from data can transform the way state govern- ment makes decisions. The Research and Data Analysis Division of the Washington Department of Social and Health Services analyzed several years’ worth of Medicaid and Medicare claims data, as well as information from the state’s long-term care program, to build a tool that can predict which clients are likely to have high health care costs in the future. The tool allows the state to identify those patients and enroll them in a program that provides more coordinated health services, which not only helps patients stay healthier but also saves the state an estimated $248 per patient per month, according to one study. 5. Sustain support for continued data efforts. Once a state invests resources into building data-driven systems, efforts to gain the commit- ment of leaders and enact policies and frameworks to make sure the initiative continues are equally important. In

coordinated approach to managing and using their data, which can help better allocate resources as well as prevent data breaches or privacy viola- tions. Three strategies that help a state effectively plan ahead include writing a formal data strategy, developing data governance structures, and taking stock of systems and performing an inventory of current data sets. The Data Governance Program Office in Oklahoma helps agencies put data gov- ernance structures in place, including setting up mechanisms to improve the quality and management of infor- mation. The office set up the Deliver Interoperable Solutions Components Utilizing Shared Services program, a cooperative governance board for health and human services agencies to standardize and longitudinally connect data across those agencies and identify shared technology and assets. 2. Build the jurisdiction’s capacity to effectively use data. Adequate staff who are data-literate and have skills in data analysis, appropriate funding and time to support data-driven projects, and external partnerships with uni- versities and other stakeholders can strengthen a state’s success in effec- tively harnessing the power of its data. To address the need for skilled data analysts, the Manage by Data Fellows Program of the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services trains staff on using data as part of their everyday work through a nine-month project-based curriculum. With more than 200 alumni, graduates have passed along many benefits to the state, including improving the timeli- ness of the agency’s case management. Similarly, to increase the state’s data capacity, Delaware’s Medicaid program entered into a formal agreement with the University of Delaware to estab- lish a dedicated research arm. The partnership allows the university to research Medicaid-related programs, present findings to state policymakers and administrators, and help decision- makers have a better understanding of the needs of Medicaid clients and the best way to administer programs.

Reference Notes 1. See http://www.pewtrusts.org/ en/research-and-analysis/

articles/2018/05/18/prison-health-care- quality-monitoring-systems-vary-by-state 2. See http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/ research-and-analysis/reports/2018/02/ how-states-use-data-to-inform-decisions 3. See https://tnris.org/ texas-imagery-service

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