Karen Wolfe

In insurance, those who hold the data, hold potential power. Those who analyze the data and apply the knowledge control their destiny.

Workers' comp data can be made intelligent and monetized through predictive analytics combined with a timely information delivery system.

New ways to infuse technology and predictive analytics into the claims and medical management processes offer significant gains.

In workers' comp, predictive analytics based on your historical data can measure what costs would have been without your interventions.

Artificial intelligence should never threaten workers’ comp if more pragmatic, technology-based strategies are implemented now.

Monitoring the data continually to uncover new diagnoses of comorbidities is essential to avoid missing subtle issues in workers' comp claims.

The seemingly insignificant NPI code can fight medical fraud and have a positive impact on workers’ comp medical management.

As many other industries have shown, being analytics-poor in workers' comp is no longer an option.

Workers' comp claims data can be used to rank-order physicians' performance and quickly identify outliers.

Here are six steps that business owners must take to ensure that IT investments drive strategic value that can be measured.

The shift to value-based healthcare creates staggering opportunities to cut workers' comp costs while improving outcomes for workers.

Many people say the data isn't available to determine which doctors are best. The data is available -- it just takes some effort to gather it.

Workers' comp often has errors in reporting, and if bad data is used in a big data strategy the result is merely big bad data.

Often, a P.O. Box is all the identification a doctor puts on a bill. With three additional data elements, payers can use powerful analytics.

Data can be your biggest asset in workers' comp, but you must reexamine all the processes you use to collect, analyze and report it.

Evaluating and rating the performance of work comp doctors based on the data is do-able and important.

Nurse case management has been underappreciated in workers' comp but should be integrated into the process in a significant role.

Medical provider networks (MPNs) no longer generate the savings that are their reason for being -- but an answer lies in the data.

In trying to compare workers' comp costs with peers, many companies struggle. But they may already possess the answer -- in their own data.

In workers' comp, medical costs are more than 60% of claim cost and continue to climb, but rethinking how to use data can make inroads.

Work comp treats physicians as equals, except for cost, but there are huge differences; the data will identify the best doctors.

The workers' comp industry clearly requires change but seems to be impervious. Some healthy disrespect, a la Google's Larry Page, could help.

Most in the industry still think of technology as tedious data input and mistrust the output, but a killer app is on its way.

When poorly performing doctors see comparisons with peers, corrected for the severity of cases, they initially fuss -- then improve.

Issues indicating a workers' comp claim is becoming a major problem can be addressed in real time -- if the right systems are in place.

Pushing implementation back another year raises costs and creates confusion for healthcare providers, billers and payers alike.

In workers' comp, data is too often used after the fact, in investigations. Data must be integrated early and used throughout the claims process.

Fraud by doctors and medical groups can be teased out of the data -- in real time -- and can be thwarted.

The key to supporting healthcare quality while cutting costs is generating data that will identify potential problems early.

Industry research is invaluable. Leverage the work of serious researchers rather than engaging in pricy statistical modeling.