US health care costs are the highest in the developed world, despite per-capita healthcare spending roughly double that of the others, but with outcomes worse-or-equal-to comparable countries. A 2014 Commonwealth Fund study ranked the United States 11th out of 11 major industrial nations in overall healthcare. An aging population is
A steady drumbeat of news coverage makes one thing clear: Opioid abuse is rising and has reached epidemic levels throughout our country. Overdoses from the diversion and abuse of prescription opioids are one cause of the surge in deaths. Overdoses from heroin and other illicit synthetic opioids (such as heroin,
The government has an unfathomable amount of data -- and it grows more and more each year. This puts agencies in a unique and important position to use that data for good. Whether it be improving government operations, solving some of the nation’s biggest challenges or empowering citizens in new
The State of Illinois faces an unprecedented budget crisis, with more than $15 billion in unpaid bills. While experts will argue over the exact causes of states' financial struggles, many are pointing to the problem of state leaders avoiding long-term budgetary problems for short-term fixes. Illinois is not alone in
Too much to do and not enough time to do it. That's a common refrain in government, but an important one because of the critical role government plays in the lives of so many. In a new book from SAS, A Practical Guide to Analytics for Governments: Using Big Data
A new book from SAS guides public sector leaders in the use of data to address a wide range of state and local government challenges. Each chapter deals with critical issues facing our country, including the opioid epidemic, child abuse, spiraling health care costs, prison overcrowding, education reform, rampant fraud and the
La vida de un infante es frágil y cuelga de un delgado hilo. Desde los recién nacidos prematuros hasta los bebés con meses de edad que luchan con problemas médicos, las unidades de cuidados intensivos neonatales (UCIN) tienen que estar preparadas para todo. Es por eso que los médicos, las
Thanks to 100 dedicated volunteers who spent their entire weekend digging into data at North Carolina’s first-ever DataDive: The Anti-Defamation League was able to cite the new approaches it was taking to analyzing hate crime data when its CEO testified before the US Senate in early May. Counter Tools, a
Around the world, animals continue to be added to the endangered species list. Thankfully, there are organizations like WildTrack, a nonprofit organization using non-invasive techniques to monitor endangered species. With the help of SAS® technology, WildTrack can use its collection of data to preserve endangered species and improve conservation efforts.
A nivel global, la mayoría de las personas tiene conocimiento sobre el tema por las constantes primicias que vemos cada año acerca de muertes de celebridades ocasionadas por sobredosis de medicamentos recetados, pero esto solo es la punta del iceberg de un problema mucho mayor. De acuerdo con información de
“This conference has been one of my best because I’ve learned about GatherIQ, a social, good cause initiative that’s made me think about the bigger picture, and how I can help people who need help,” said a SAS Global Forum attendee who heard about SAS’ new data-for-good crowdsourcing app at
Unable to attend SAS Global Forum 2017 happening now in Orlando? We’ve got you covered! You can view live stream video from the conference, and check back here for important news from the conference, starting with the highlights from last night’s Opening Session. While the location and record attendance made
Did you know that January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the United States? If not, you may not know that researchers estimate that human trafficking is a global industry with revenues from $51 to $99 billion annually, up from $32 billion just a few years ago. In this case,
Improving citizen happiness is an important goal for many, if not all, governments. But what is happiness really? Can it be objectively measured? Can we discover the key factors that best correlate with happiness? And ultimately, can governments implement policies and programs that maximize happiness? Is maximum happiness nothing more than
Clinical research generates extensive amounts of data, yet most of it is siloed or generally unavailable to a larger pool of willing potential researchers. If this data were liberated to the masses, we would venture into a world of endless possibilities where the search for new cures and treatments could
The Data For Good initiative is all about using data and analytics to improve the lives of citizens around the world – however most people wouldn’t immediately think about tax collection as a humanitarian effort. But that’s exactly how Courtney Kay-Decker, Executive Director of the Iowa Department of Revenue sees
Being an Eagle Scout, the data for good movement caught my attention. I wondered if I could apply my computer skills in a way that might help. How about showing people better ways to visualize HIV/AIDS data - that might help doctors better understand the data, and therefore better treat
With the US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other health topics in the news lately, I wondered how much people spend on healthcare in various countries. Of course spending varies from person to person, so I decided to take a look at the average per capita spending in each country (it's
Wheat rust. You may have never heard of it, but in a matter of days, this fast-moving, silent-killing plant disease can completely annihilate a critical wheat farm in Ethiopia. Wheat rust’s newest nemeses? A legion of volunteer superheroes in the Data for Good movement. When Jake Porway, Founder and Executive
SAS was founded on the principal of using analytics to change the world. From fighting cancer and researching the Zika virus to changing the lives of Ghana women by teaching them how to code, SAS has remained committed to helping solve critical humanitarian issues using data and analytics. What SAS has been
There’s been an uptick recently in corporations working together to improve patient experiences and even saves lives. From the recent buzz about drug developers coming together to combat Alzheimer’s, to health systems opening data to researchers, companies realize that partnering just might produce the greatest impact.
I've noticed fewer and fewer people smoking these days, and was wondering who the last holdouts are. Let's run some numbers and find out... Back in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s it seems like almost everyone smoked. You hardly ever saw the "cool kids" such as James Dean without a cigarette -
For thousands of years, the human experience has been recorded by storytellers. Stories tell the tale of our lives: beginning, middle and end. Stories document the triumphs and tragedies of heroes and villains and everything in between. Human beings are storytellers -- it's a trait as uniquely human as an
A few years ago, in the height of my workaholism, I took up a hobby. I go to sketchy neighborhoods around L.A. and hang out with dogs I don’t know. I have a long history of adopting and fostering shelter dogs, often getting them out on their “euth dates.” With
According to Lloyd Dean, president and CEO, "At Dignity Health, we are committed to developing partnerships and opportunities that harness the tremendous potential of technology, from improving the patient experience to providing caregivers with tools that will support their day-to-day care decisions." Dignity Health, one of the largest health systems
Data is used to answer many different questions, but one common theme we’ve been seeing in the industry is using data for the common good. After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the Office of Performance and Accountability (OPA) was challenged with rebuilding the city. Joel Mullis, the city’s first data
Over the last few years I’ve seen and worked on many transformational projects with big data, especially those that tap into big data’s ability to provide new and improved services for the public good. But there’s also a danger that analytics, unchecked, can do social harm by indirectly discriminating against
Population movement is higher than ever. Buoyed by freedom of movement and critical events such as armed conflict and the European migrant issue, large groups of people are migrating across borders. In fact, population movement has now reached record levels. There are currently more displaced people globally than during the whole
It’s an incredibly exciting time for data science. Just ask Jake Porway, former New York Times Data Scientist and now CEO of DataKind, who opened his April 28 SAS Global Forum keynote by asking busy conference goers to pause and reflect on the revolutionary times we are living in. “Cell phones
