From Data to Actionable Insights: Create a Data-Driven SNF Rehab Therapy Team

In today’s world of big data, most rehab therapy leaders want better access to the numbers that matter and which best align with their professional goals and objectives.

Whether they provide rehabilitation services within an outpatient setting or manage operations within a hospital or post-acute rehab department, plenty of leaders today understand the valuable role data can play in helping them make the best decisions for their businesses.

Make no mistake, simply understanding the power of data is a win for rehab therapy teams everywhere. However, collecting data is just the start. For data to make a positive impact, it has to drive meaningful action. This is where some operational leaders have a tendency to fail.

According to a report by Forrester, 74% of the businesses surveyed said they wanted to be more “data-driven.” Yet, it was discovered that just 29% of these businesses were ultimately successful at connecting analytics to action.

One of the reasons many may have failed to make this connection is their efforts begin and end with collecting data. They assume, perhaps, that data, information, and insights are all synonymous (they’re not) and that each is equally powerful in driving positive change (also untrue).

Understanding the differences between the three is an important step toward helping ensure the data collected every day within rehab therapy operations—metrics gleaned through EHR systems, outcomes management solutions, business intelligence (BI) dashboards, and other digital tools—is processed, aggregated, organized and analyzed in a way that inspires action.

This blog post will outline the important differences between data, information, and insights, then provide an overview of common methods today’s rehab therapy operations are collecting, tracking, and utilizing this base of knowledge.

How Does Data Evolve into Insight?

To fully leverage the potential of data within rehab therapy operations, it’s important to understand how raw data evolves into something far more powerful: actionable insights. This evolution involves distinct stages, each building on the last to create a comprehensive understanding that can truly drive change.

By first distinguishing between data, information, and insights, rehab clinicians and operational leaders will be better equipped to establish and navigate these processes, ensuring that the data collected doesn’t sit idle, but instead propels rehab teams toward informed, strategic decisions.

To do all that, let’s explore these stages in more detail.

Data vs. Information

Take your favorite musical instrument—say, a grand piano or a classic Stratocaster guitar. Most know these instruments have the potential to create something great, memorable, and even profound. Yet for all intents and purposes, it’s still just an inanimate object. That’s data in a nutshell.

Data is simply a collection of raw numbers and facts captured during the process of doing business. Ideally, the data you collect has some consistency in direction and the way it’s collected, but data alone offers very little in the way of insight and understanding. It’s just numbers. What data does offer, however, is tremendous potential.

Process and organize your data in a way that’s more reader-friendly—think spreadsheet, report, or graphics—and you have information. When reviewed, information is typically easier to comprehend in the context of your business.

Information vs. Insight

Picking up a musical instrument and mastering the scales isn’t the end goal of any would-be musician. Musicians want their instruments to sing—to have soul, some would say—and this can only happen when the notes intermingle, creating sounds that tell a story and stir a response.

The same can be said for information. While more organized, readable, and shareable than data, information (like musical scales) only has purpose when presented in the context of specific narratives.

In the case of a rehab therapy operation, these narratives may revolve around topics like operational efficiency, patient outcomes, treatment planning, and captured revenue and reimbursement, to name just a few. To truly become a data-driven rehab therapy operation, the information collected must be regularly considered and analyzed in the context of these and other operational narratives. It’s only then that clinicians, managers, and directors can formulate insights and draw conclusions based on their original data.

Such conclusions, then, may lead to actions that can be applied within your rehab therapy department. This is insight, the third member of that original trio we mentioned, and achieving insight is the key to making more strategic, well-informed and actionable business decisions.

What Are Common Sources for Data, Information and Insight in Rehab Therapy?

Today’s rehab therapy teams have access to a wealth of data sources that, when used effectively, can significantly enhance patient care, improve operations, and optimize revenue.

With the right tools, like electronic health records (EHR) solutions, outcomes management systems, and business intelligence (BI) platforms, therapy operators can transform raw data into actionable insights that inform clinical decisions and operational strategies.

In addition, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and predictive analytics within these tools can elevate the ability to turn vast amounts of data into meaningful insights, allowing for more precise, proactive management and care.

Here are some common sources of data, information, and insights within rehab therapy operations.

Electronic Health Records

EHRs serve as a cornerstone of data collection in rehab therapy. These software solutions capture a wide range of patient information, from demographics and medical history to clinical notes, insurance and billing, and appointment records.

The data collected in a rehab therapy EHR system can provide a wealth of insight into both patient and operational success.

On the patient level, an EHR can collect and track data related to progress and treatment efficacy, their adherence to treatment plans, demographic and population trends that may impact success (i.e. social determinants of health), and general patient satisfaction. Insight from such data can help inform treatment, educational, marketing, and scheduling needs.

For clinicians and directors, EHRs are valuable tools in tracking health trends, basic risk factors, operational efficiency, resource utilization, and financial insights (i.e. reimbursement).

With the addition of AI and machine learning, some EHRs can now better process and analyze patient and operational data to better identify patterns, helping forecast patient trajectories and identify patients most at-risk of poor outcomes or missed appointments.

Outcomes Management Systems

Outcomes management systems play a critical role in helping rehab therapy teams track patient progress and the effectiveness of various treatments. These systems collect data on patient-reported outcomes, treatment adherence, and functional improvements, helping set benchmarks for patient progress.

By transforming this raw data into information, such as progress reports and benchmarking data, therapists can gain a clearer picture of how well treatments are working across various patient groups.

AI and machine learning can amplify the value of this information by enabling predictive analytics that help identify which interventions are most likely to success for specific patient profiles. This not only helps clinicians establish more personalized treatment plans, but also refines overall patient strategies to maximize patient outcomes.

Business Intelligence Tools

 Business intelligence (BI) tools are valuable in their ability to integrate and analyze data from multiple sources, including EHRs and financial systems. These tools provide visualizations, dashboards, and reports that make complex data more accessible and actionable for rehab therapy directors and healthcare administrators.

For example, a BI tool may highlight key performance indicators (KPIs) related to clinical efficiency, provider productivity, patient satisfaction, and financial success. AI-driven analytics within BI platforms can further enhance these insights by helping identify operational bottlenecks, predicting revenue cycles, and suggesting areas for improvement.

By continuously analyzing data in real time, BI tools enable rehab therapists and clinical managers to make data-driven decisions that improve both operations and patient care.

Patient Engagement Tools and Solutions

Various engagement tools like remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) apps, wearable technology, telehealth platforms, and even patient feedback surveys offer additional data streams that can boost a rehab therapy operation.

Some of these tools provide consistent and/or real-time data on patient activities, such as exercise adherence and home exercise hurdles, which can be critical in maintaining progress between appointments. Telehealth visits and patient feedback surveys can further contribute valuable data that can be used to assess patient progress and satisfaction.

The Future of Data-Driven Rehab Therapy

As the rehab therapy landscape continues to evolve, the role of data, information, and insight will only grow in importance. With the ongoing development and integration of AI-based tools, rehab therapists will continue to more fully harness the power of the data they collect, transforming it into deeper, more actionable insights.

The shift toward a more data-centric approach in rehab therapy is not just a trend; it is a fundamental change in how care is delivered. As AI and machine learning continue to advance, the ability to analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately will become a cornerstone of successful practice.

Those who embrace these innovations will likely be better positioned to lead the way in providing high-quality, patient-centered care into the future.