Data Mining
Data mining is the process of finding correlations or patterns among fields in large relational databases, analyzing data and summarizing it into useful information.
-A relational database (Microsoft's
Access, Oracle, Sybase) is a collection of data
organized into tables with predefined categories from which data can be
accessed.
-Each table contains one or more data categories in
columns.
-Each row contains data for categories defined by the columns.
Example
Use of practice management software or clinical management software to identify specific data about patients and your practice.
-use the zip-code to identify location from where your patients are coming from.
-use the age of the patient to identify how many are geriatric patients
-how many amalgams done and income derived
-monthly gross income
-which time of year you place more fixed bridges.
` -when do you have most cancelled appointments.
Data, Information, and Knowledge
Data are any facts, numbers, or text that can be processed by a computer.
Information
-The patterns, associations, or relationships among all this data can provide information.
Knowledge
-Information can be converted into knowledge about historical patterns and future trends. For example, summary information on procedures can be analyzed in light of web site promotional efforts.
Data Warehouses
-Data warehousing is a process of centralized data management and retrieval. Data warehousing, like data mining, is a relatively new term although the concept itself has been around for years. Data warehousing represents an ideal vision of maintaining a central repository of all organizational data.
-Feedback on post treatment evaluation data of specific patients . Such databases can provide relevant clinical and ancillary treatment data to allow outcomes intepretation. Currently there is a data overload -- more information than we can manage and interpret.
Data Analysis.
-Delta Dental maintains one of the state's most complete dental databases. By looking back on dental treatment patterns and outcomes, they can trace if patients receive appropriate care possible.
What can data mining do?
It will enable you to have a dental office that will operate more efficiently and be more cost effective.
Data mining is primarily used today by in-house practice management clinical management programs. It enables obtaining summary information and to view detail transactional data.