Diebold Presents MedSelect Database Mining Capabilities
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With the addition of a powerful new database mining tool, Diebold, Incorporated, has expanded the capabilities of its MedSelect medication and supply dispensing system. Using online analytical processing (OLAP) tools delivered by Cognos' PowerPlay, pharmacy managers can quickly sift through enormous amounts of data to reveal discrepancies, uncover trends and provide vital operational insights.
The database mining capability is being demonstrated for the first time at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' (ASHP) annual midyear clinical conference starting today and running through Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.
No other database mining tool is available that puts so much power at the pharmacy manager's fingertips, said Diebold in a news release. Users work with Diebold engineers to create a database of information collected from their MedSelect automated dispensing system and combine it with other pharmacy or hospital systems. Selected data from clinical, financial and operational databases are then automatically converted into database "cubes" that are focused on a specific department, process or function.
Pharmacy managers can then probe these focused databases using Cognos' PowerPlay which provides fast, consistent, interactive exploration of the data. PowerPlay empowers pharmacy managers with the ability to explore data and turn it into strategic information. After analyzing the data, pharmacy managers rely on Diebold's MedSelect Examiner to develop customized, scheduled reports.
"Healthcare organizations are rich in patient data, but like many organizations, have a very hard time turning that data into useful information," said Susan Matanin, pharmacy clinical specialist for Diebold. "Departmentally based islands of information running on a variety of incompatible legacy systems only compound the problem. Pharmacists need the capabilities provided by MedSelect's database mining tools to make sense of the mass of data and put it to work for their organizations as useable information."
From its inception, the MedSelect System was configured around a high-end system architecture with the ability to keep several years of data available for online analysis. Diebold engineers also developed the interfaces to enable the transfer of data between almost any other hospital system and the MedSelect data warehouse. The resulting comprehensive warehouse of data is managed using Oracle, the recognized best-of-breed database manager, putting an unmatched repository of data at the disposal of pharmacy managers.
"The analogy to mining is very appropriate," said Matanin. "Healthcare organizations are sitting on gold mines of undiscovered information and insights hidden away in their data warehouses. The power and simplicity of our database mining tool lets them drill down to uncover that information. MedSelect Systems are moving quickly beyond their original role as dispensing systems and evolving into an essential information management and decision-making tool."
Cognos is a leading strategic vendor of enterprise business intelligence solutions, providing companies with business intelligence software that helps them increase productivity and achieve competitive advantage. The company has its corporate headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, and U.S. sales headquarters in Burlington, Mass.
Diebold, Incorporated is a global leader in providing integrated delivery systems and services. Founded in 1859, the company employs more than 6,000 associates in some 120 locations worldwide with headquarters in Canton, Ohio, USA. Diebold reported revenues of US$1.2 billion in 1997 and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'DBD.' For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.diebold.com