Qbase helps area hospitals make sense of their data

Dayton Daily News (April 27, 2007)

by Thomas Gnau
Staff Writer

BEAVERCREEK — Men tend to fall more in May and June, women in November and December.

Most trauma patients — 60 percent — get to area emergency rooms by public ambulance, but more (17 percent) are transported by helicopter than private
vehicle (15 percent).

And of trauma patients tested for intoxication, 27 percent were positive.

Those are facts gleaned from an analysis of trauma patient care at 14 area hospitals in 2005 and 2006. The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association asked data expert Qbase to mold its reams of trauma data into intelligible chunks.

Having a handle on what kinds of emergencies happen when, hospital administrators can make intelligent decisions about emergency room staffing
and equipping.

Miami Valley Hospital's emergency room, for example, is the busiest in the state, seeing some 99,000 patients yearly, said Bryan Bucklew, the hospital association's president and chief executive.

Information-parsing is nothing new for hospitals. But Bucklew said Qbase's analysis was far faster than any typical analysis turnaround.

Developing the analysis software tool took six months, said Bill Pardue, Qbase's president and CEO. Using it takes days, he said.

The project's guiding principle was simple, Bucklew said. "More information rather than less, and sooner rather than later."

"Can we amass the data, and can we provide some actual reports based on this data to move our community forward?" Bucklew said.

The data can guide hospital programs. For example, administrators can examine which ZIP codes see more children fall off bikes, a fact that might guide the distribution of bike helmets, Bucklew said.

"This is why Qbase is in business," said Evan Scott, a Qbase spokesman and father of four children. "This is hugely important to me."

Pardue said this software tool is likely just the first project Qbase will pursue with the hospital association.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

About Qbase

Founded: November 2005

Ownership: Closely held. Affiliated with British firm Qbase Data Services Ltd.,
but with separate owners.

Offices: 2619 Commons Blvd., in Beavercreek and 20 S. Limestone St., Springfield. CEO Bill Pardue said two offices will open in the next year, but he declined to
say where.

Employees: 56 full-time and 14 part-time.

Sales: More than $1 million in 2006. Projecting $6 million in 2007.

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