Engaged Data: An Interactive Rhode Island Ecosystem Dashboard Describing the Healthcare Workforce
On Wednesday, May 29th, 2024, the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Ecosystem, in partnership with the Rhode Island Workforce Transformation Team, publicly released the EOHHS Health Workforce Dashboard.
The Dashboard enables policymakers, healthcare providers, educators, and others to review and engage with data that provides a detailed understanding of the State’s licensed health professional workforce [1].
The Dashboard allows the following data elements to be searched and filtered from 2010 through the present:
- Number of licensees
- Number and percentage of licensees employed in a healthcare setting in Rhode Island
- Number and percentage of licensees employed in any setting in Rhode Island
- Race and ethnicity
- Gender
- Average age
- Median annual earnings
- Setting (i.e., type of employer)
- Education and training providers
- Career progressions (CNA, LPN, and RN)
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of a diverse and effective healthcare workforce, reinforcing that this group of professionals represents a crucial component of any health system, impacting patient outcomes, access to care, and overall public health. Accurate and comprehensive healthcare workforce data is essential for effective workforce planning, policy formulation, and ensuring the optimal allocation of resources.
Like most states nationwide, Rhode Island is working to identify short-term and long-term solutions to healthcare workforce challenges. As part of this initiative, the RI EOHHS Healthcare Workforce Transformation Team partnered with the RI Ecosystem to create an interactive public dashboard to understand important characteristics of Rhode Island’s licensed health professional workforce.
The Rhode Island Ecosystem is an integrated data system that links data at the person and family level across state agencies. Through carefully governed, permissioned access to de-identified data, the Ecosystem empowers state leaders, researchers, and community voices with the information they need to address complex questions concerning public health, healthcare utilization, and non-health-related experiences across an individual’s lifespan [2].
The creation of the EOHHS Health Workforce Dashboard began in late 2022 with significant engagement from the Healthcare Workforce Transformation Team, the Ecosystem Analytics and Technical Teams, and the Data Stewards from the four agencies whose data is utilized in the Dashboard. Each agency appoints a Data Steward with program and data expertise and who have decision-making authority over using their confidential data for approved use cases and projects.
The Health Workforce Dashboard currently uses multiple data sets from the following agencies:
- Department of Health (RIDOH)
- Department of Laber and Training (DLT)
- Department of Human Services (DHS)
- Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Medicaid
As part of the Ecosystem Data Governance process, Data Stewards from each agency reviewed and approved using their data sets to create the Dashboard. The EOHHS legal team also weighed in and approved the project prior to the start of analytic work.
Once the Dashboard was moved into the analytic building phase, Data Steward input proved critical to understanding nuances within the various data sets so that data could be displayed accurately and effectively. Programmatic and Policy personnel were utilized to understand how various policy changes are reflected in the data, including RI leaving the Nurse Licensure Compact in 2017 and rejoining on January 1st, 2024.
The RI Ecosystem and Workforce Transformation Team plan to add additional licensure data in the near future and are continuing to work together to create a tool that offers even deeper insights into the healthcare workforce landscape. This ongoing effort aims to enhance the Dashboard’s functionality and relevance by incorporating more comprehensive data sets, including additional licensure data, and continuing to engage with stakeholders.
The Rhode Island Health Workforce Data Dashboard marks a significant step forward in tackling the State’s healthcare workforce challenges. By offering a comprehensive and interactive tool for engaging in workforce data, it empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions and develop effective policies. The RI Ecosystem’s collaborative development process and robust data governance practices ensure that the Dashboard is a reliable and valuable resource for improving healthcare workforce planning and policy in Rhode Island.
Sources:
[1] https://eohhs.ri.gov/initiatives/workforce-transformation/workforce-data