What Does a Health Systems Analyst Do?

A health systems analyst is a professional who is charged with the responsibility of assessing the efficiency of a healthcare facility, such as a nursing home or hospital. The role will involve addressing all the resources that go into the task, including the type of computer hardware and software used with record keeping and tracking the care of patients, as well as evaluating the actual policies and procedures used to operate the facility. Analysts of this type may be part of the facility staff or be hired on a consultation basis to aid in upgrades or changes deemed necessary to keep the facility up to date and capable of offering patients the highest qualify of healthcare.

One of the key areas that the health systems analyst will address is the information technology currently used within the facility. This will focus on both the technology used by doctors, nurses and surgeons to treat patients, as well as the support systems that are used to order supplies, manage payables and receivables, and handle other essential functions. The systems analyst will include assessing the quality of the equipment used for all related tasks as well as the software that is loaded onto the network and on individual devices. Within the scope of this function, the health systems analyst will make sure programs are integrated properly and that they are configured in a manner that provides the highest level of benefit for both healthcare professionals and for patients currently residing in the facility.

In addition to the information systems and hardware used, a health systems analyst will also investigate current policies and procedures that govern the healthcare process. The focus will be on making sure the facility is in full compliance with all governmental regulations regarding patient care, including the proprietary nature of patient information. Analysts will also look into issues such as the scheduling of nurses on each shift, the ratio of nurses to patients and other factors that impact the ability of the staff to adequately care for patients.

The ultimate goal of any health systems analyst is to work toward making the healthcare facility as efficient as possible. Doing so allows the facility to maximize profits from the operation while also equipping employees with the tools needed to manage assigned tasks properly. Patients also benefit from the work of the analyst, since staff with have up-to-date resources are in a better position to offer quality care.