Case Studies
Project Profile for the Hospitals in Action Database
Executive Summary
Company
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a Chicago, IL-based organization founded in 1898 that serves hospitals, health care networks, and their patients.
Solution Description
The Microsoft Access Database provides a new repository for documentation of actions taken by hospitals to improve their service.
Benefits
Using Access 2007 provides a user friendly central location for the use of AHA staff when recording important details on actions taken by healthcare organizations.
Software and Services
- Microsoft Access 2007
- Microsoft Windows XP
- Microsoft Windows Vista
Customer Profile
Sector: Healthcare
Industry: Non-Profit Services
The American Hospital Association (AHA) serves hospitals and health care networks nationwide as an organization of almost 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care. Additionally, the organization serves 37,000 individual members, who are also committed to quality patient care and healthy communities. AHA strives to represent members' perspectives and needs nationally in legislative and regulatory debates as well as in judicial matters through advocacy efforts impacting all branches of government.
Business Situation
The organization was using Microsoft Excel to track various kinds of information about actions taken by healthcare organizations. A large amount of information had been collected over time and was in need of centralized organization to improve retrieval of pertinent information. Finding the information when needed had become very time consuming and inefficient. Designing a database was the best path for addressing these issues and expanding accessibility.
Solution
Hospitals in Action Database
The alligatortek team developed a new database using Microsoft Access for entering, storing, and reporting information. This platform enabled the development of a system that was cost effective and met the AHA’s needs.
Implementation of Database
alligatortek imported the basic information about organizations and contacts as the core elements to be stored in the new repository. Awards and accolades were included as well as best practices information. The database structure was designed to facilitate capture of such dimensions as chronic care management, community connections, and promotion of healthy behaviors and to track efficient, affordable care options in detail. Dropdown boxes make it easy for staff to capture these dimensions on each action.
Extensive Search Capabilities
Directly addressing the primary business requirements entailed implementation of an extensive search capability to look up best practice records previously stored in the database. Sharing information and promoting best practices are well-served by the ability to search by keyword as well as at two category levels, optionally filtering the search by organization and location.
User Friendly for All Staff
All staff now have access to the system and can easily store events efficiently in a usable format. The use of Microsoft Access 2007 provided an intuitive user interface familiar to most pc users.