DataX: Leveraging data to drive Veteran health care

The 2022 VA Innovation Experience created an opportunity for health care leaders and VA employees to gather in-person to collaborate for better health care outcomes.

Dr. Amanda Lienau (previously Purnell), director of Data and Analytics Innovation for VA, hosted the first annual DataX.

DataX was designed to bring together data analysts and other data experts across VA, showcase the work they are doing and highlight how their work is impacting clinical care for Veterans. From panel discussions, demonstrations and networking opportunities, the new event showcased the future of data in improving Veteran care.

The impact of data in health care

From supporting high-level VA priorities such as suicide prevention to addressing challenges like clinical workflow, VA uses data each day to drive and improve Veteran health care. In 2020, VA’s Office of Enterprise Integration, the VA Innovation Ecosystem, the Office of Research and Development, and the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention hosted 2020 Data Summit for Suicide Prevention.

This summit began a deep dive into how data could improve Veteran care. By removing barriers and improving policy, data about Veterans can be shared across VA facilities and foster collaboration. This collaboration was designed with reducing Veteran suicide as the central use.

Data has also been used in VA to improve equitable outcomes for Veterans, share and analyze imaging data in health records and new workflows for more efficient and improved care. To highlight all of these incredible innovations, Lienau brought together data leaders and experts to partake in the new 2022 DataX Summit Oct. 27, 2022.

DataX

Lienau (pictured above) discussed how data can “build community, stimulate collaboration and grow the capacity” for Veteran care. Dr. Carolyn Clancy, assistant under secretary for Health for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, remarked on the future of data in VA.

“We’re identifying opportunities to use technology to reduce administrative burden and empower care teams to build a healing relationship with Veterans,” said Clancy.

Get involved in the data revolution

Lienau knows that VA can use data to solve the biggest problems that both VA and Veterans are facing.

Want to learn more about DataX and how you can get involved in improving Veterans health care? You can explore the Arches Diffusion Marketplace page to learn more about Arches, a data platform where users can readily access usable data to improve care for Veterans.

Want to support VHA IE’s innovation revolution? Visit our website to learn about opportunities to become involved in innovation at VA.