1. Dynamic Research Models of Today: How Business Intelligence Has Enhanced the Research Environment
Gabe Cano, Altarum Institute 
Mark Perry, Altarum Institute 
APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition
November , 2009
Philadelphia, PA

2. ABSTRACT Dynamic Research Models of Today:
How Business Intelligence Has Enhanced the Research Environment
Authors: Gabe Cano, M.S., Mark Perry, Ph. D.
Abstract
Advances in technology have been enhancing the power of research environments for many years. Progress in information infrastructures improves the capability for access to a wider range of data stores and creates analytic and research opportunities which were inconceivable in the past. Improved infrastructure offers better system connectivity and allows analytic models to be customized, linking data from disparate data sets to create innovative perspectives of the world around us. Platform computing has become a mainstay of today’s technological advances offering analysts a rich environment for research studies. Business Intelligence (BI) is changing the research environment into a more dynamic system, enabling business users to identify relationships between variables at their discretion. Business users and policy analysts are directly involved with the planning of such systems to expedite quick responses to multi-faceted research questions concerning our health systems.
 Points of Topic:
1. An examination of traditional research models will be compared to new BI research models.
2. What is platform computing and BI and how has it changed research?
3. Planning a research study using BI: it’s a team effort.
4. How can BI improve / enhance health systems?

3. A Traditional Research Model
Client & PI formulate an hypothesis
Analysts provided with data
Analysts test initial hypothesis
Analysts confer results with the client
Analysts produce report of results

4. A Traditional Research ModelPI
Client

5. A Traditional Research Model
Client PI
Business
Users
Analysts

6. A Traditional System ModelPI
Analysts
Input Data from
Data Source

7. SAS, STATA, SPSS, Excel, etc.
Traditional Data Flow
Data Sources:
ASCII, CSV,
other delimited,
etc.
Databases:
Oracle, ACCESS,
and others
Data Analysis:
SAS, STATA, SPSS, Excel, etc.
Report

8. What is Business Intelligence?
BI Definitions:
BI platforms are interactive system/software environments
BI computing provides for the creation and management of metadata
Metadata is information describing the data and is the source for creating information maps
Information maps allow the original data to be viewed and transformed into On-Line Analytic Processing (OLAP) data cubes
OLAP data cubes are a relational reporting of the data
BI platforms provide customizable data studios for business users

9. BI System Features BI Infrastructures are … Web systems
Relational data management systems
Interactive programming environments
BI systems offer …
Data analysis tools
Data dashboards
Data visualization
Report studios
BI systems can offer…
Data exploration
Data mining
Data warehousing

10. A Business Intelligence Model
BI Platform
Database
Import data table
Data Cube

11. Data Flow in a BI System Model
Create
Data Cubes
Import
data into metadata
server
Analytical Processing
Database
Create
information
mappings
Create Reports
And Dashboards

12. Customizable Data Studios
BI Platform
Database
Ancillary
Database
Import Data
Import Ancillary Data
Data
Cube
Data Cube

13. A New Research Model
Client, Business users, PIs, and Analyst all plan the system
All view data on the system
Hypothesis is formulated [from data views]
Analysts work out initial study of hypothesis
All view hypothesis results on the system
Analysts produce report of results

14. Business Intelligence Platform
A New Research Model
Client PI
Business
Users
Analysts
Business Intelligence Platform

15. A BI System Research Environment
Client PI
Business Intelligence Platform
Business Users
Analysts

16. A Business Intelligence Research Environment
Client PI
Analyst
Business
User

17. Pros of a BI Research Environment
Systems can be made directly available to users
Systems can be restricted only to those who need access
Analytic tools and graphics are built into the system
Data studios can be customized
Data exploration now becomes a value added feature

18. Challenges of a BI Research Environment
There are many choices for selecting the best BI tool
All players should be involved with system planning
Good system planning ensures the data are well defined
Well defined data ensures the usefulness of the system

19. Final Points
Business Intelligence has created a new research model by…
Bringing all players into the decision making process
Utilizing today’s information infrastructures
Creating a more direct path to data for those that need it