For the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO), 2023 was a year to expand its impact beyond its historical focus of providing high quality data for utilization and cost evaluation, as we scaled up our expertise in building data systems composed of different types of data and worked with multiple health care stakeholders to provide new health care information about Wisconsin. The WHIO wishes to extend its gratitude to its Board of Directors and all of the organizations that submit their data to further the WHIO’s mission, “To create more health data and better information to inform actions.”
The 2023 results are below. The WHIO welcomes your input. Please contact us at info@whio.org or 608-442-3876 with your comments, suggestions, and ideas, so that together, we can continue to improve Wisconsin’s health care delivery system and the health of Wisconsinites.
Growth in Data and Demand for Complex Data Marts
As of the end of 2022, the WHIO housed data on 5.1 million insured lives and over $311 billion in health care spending dating back to January 1, 2017. This included more than 737 million medical and pharmacy claims that represent health care paid for by commercial health plans, self-funded employers, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage.
Public Reports
In 2023, the WHIO provided data and analytics to create several original reports that are available to the public at www.whio.org.
- Trends in Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing in Wisconsin 2018-2021 – The first report on the appropriate use of antibiotics for respiratory conditions in Wisconsin. This report was published in conjunction with the Wisconsin Antibiotic Stewardship Program described below.
- Trends in Dental Antibiotic Prescribing in WI 2018-2021 – A first look at the use of antibiotics for dental procedures in Wisconsin. This report was published in conjunction with the Wisconsin Antibiotic Stewardship Program described below.
- InfoByte: Lead Exposure in Children in WI – A brief that evaluates the relationship between lead exposure and the location of aging houses in Wisconsin.
- Achieving Health Care Value in Wisconsin: A Focus on Low Value Care – A narrative that quantifies low value care – health care services that are not supported by research and may cause harm – in Wisconsin. This report was published through the low value care project described below.
- Disparities in Mental Health Care and Outcomes Report – A report on inequities in mental health care. This report was published through the Healthy Metrics program described below.
Health Care Quality and Cost
In partnership with the WI Department of Health Services, Antibiotic Stewardship Program, the WHIO lead an advisory team to produce two public statewide reports on prescribing practices of medical and dental providers. In addition to the statewide reports, medical and dental provider will begin to access their organization’s results in 2024 via the WHIO’s Applied Insights report portal. Dental claims used in this project were provided by Delta Dental and the analytics for the dental provider report were completed by BSGAnaltyics.
The WHIO is in the unique position of having financial data to study the cost of health care in Wisconsin. Following the publication of Wisconsin’s results compared to three other states in the V-BID Low Value Care Study Vol. 2, the WHIO and the Medical College of Wisconsin obtained a grant from the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Foundation to expand work around low value care. Low value care is care that is not supported by research (care that is not necessary) and may cause harm to the patient. Under this grant, the WHIO hosted the Low Value Care Committee, a multi-stakeholder team who gained expertise in low value care, and then educated their peers. In August 2023, the WHIO released Wisconsin’s first statewide report on low value care that was distributed to over 10,000 email addresses. In addition, the Low Value Care Committee members conducted education sessions to more than 200 of their peers to raise awareness of the detrimental impact of low value care in Wisconsin.
Health Equity
Through the HealthyMetrics project, the WHIO, along with the Wisconsin Partnership Program, Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Foundation, University of Wisconsin Health Innovation Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality released a comprehensive report on health inequities in mental health care. The report included multiple metrics on disparities in mental health services utilization for people with moderate and severe mental health diagnoses created by the WHIO.
Research
The WHIO continues to experience an increase in the use of its data for research aimed at understanding care patterns used to treat critical diseases. Today, research projects often require new technologies that allow the WHIO claims data to be used in conjunction with other data sources (e.g., clinical, cancer registry) using advanced de-identification methodologies. With the transition to our new technology system and partnership with WellStack in 2019, the WHIO was well positioned to support these research projects. In addition, the WHIO worked with EnsoData, an AI company, who used the WHIO data to identify clinical conditions that are associated with sleep apnea. Each research project is growing the WHIO’s portfolio of data and analytical skills.
Summary
The health care landscape is evolving in Wisconsin as our demographics shift, and national and state policies evolve. Timely, relevant information is critical to make informed decisions that will improve health, health care value, and the health care delivered in Wisconsin. The WHIO’s accomplishments of 2023 will further our ability to meet the information needs of the future.
Dana Richardson
Chief Executive Officer
Wisconsin Health Information Organization