Blogs

Blogs

Data for Good

See how data is being used to address humanitarian issues around the world

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization | Learn SAS

Robert AllisonMarch 23, 2017 0

Bringing the heat! - Creating heat maps with proc sgplot ...

If you're a fan of SAS' ODS Graphics, you probably know that it does pretty much everything except geographical maps. But it's flexible enough that you can "fake it 'till you make it"! This example describes how to fake a geographical (choropleth) heat map using Proc SGplot polygons. In my

Read More

Government | Health Care

Analytics | Data for Good | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Rory MacKenzieFebruary 17, 2017 0

Modern investigations: It’s not like the movies

I’ve always loved watching crime series or films – from Homeland and True Detective to Sherlock Holmes. But after years of building software products and solutions designed to help security and law enforcement agencies solve crimes, I've noticed there are several clichés that need to be conquered by technology. No.

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good

Georgia MarianiFebruary 9, 2017 0

Third-grade reading proficiency is key to reversing the “skills gap”

How important is reading to the skills gap? It's crucial. Through third grade, children are learning to read. After that, they read to learn. That is why reading proficiently by the end of third grade is one of the most reliable predictors of future success for children. Students who develop

Read More

Data for Good | Internet of Things

Steve BennettFebruary 2, 2017 0

How can the Internet of Things help government agencies?

It was just a few years ago that the idea of an Internet of Things (IoT) seemed far off, something out of a science-fiction movie. After all, why would a vehicle need to talk to the road? Why would our utility meters need to talk to the central office? The

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good

Will JonesJanuary 31, 2017 0

How can data help the most vulnerable victims of human trafficking?

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,

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonJanuary 18, 2017 0

Where does Girl Scout cookie money go?

Here in the US, it's Girl Scout cookie season. This is when you get to spend a few bucks on cookies, break your New Year's resolution about losing weight ... and feel good about it, because the money's going to a good cause. Or is it? - Let's break down

Read More

Data for Good

Steve BennettJanuary 18, 2017 0

Can you measure and optimize happiness?

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

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good

doctor looking at clinical data on tablet

Patrick HomerDecember 13, 2016 0

Clinical research data sharing promises new cures and treatments

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

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good

Will JonesDecember 6, 2016 0

Entity resolution reduces unknown unknowns in child well-being efforts

When protecting children, “entity resolution” can reduce the things agencies don’t know they don’t know. It’s a technological capability I wish I’d had when I led a child protective services agency. I have been involved in hundreds of determinations that would alter a child’s life trajectory. I was comfortable with

Read More

Advanced Analytics | Data for Good | SAS Events

Polly Mitchell-GuthrieNovember 29, 2016 0

4 tips to ensure your data4good efforts have an impact

In honor of today’s #GivingTuesday, which "harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities,” I’ve been thinking about what constitutes “real change” and the role analytics can play on the many social issues our planet faces.

Read More

Data for Good

Kelly LevoyerNovember 10, 2016 0

Fighting tax fraud at the Iowa Department of Revenue

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

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonNovember 2, 2016 0

Building a better HIV/AIDS map

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

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good

Mark LambrechtNovember 1, 2016 0

Using real-world data from real-life patients

What would happen if we could ask any type of scientific or clinical question about patients, and then go out and find the data to answer our questions? With "real-world data," we can do just that. Real-world data is all medicinal product data that comes from real-life patients. In contrast,

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Management

doctor looking at clinical data on tablet

David DowningOctober 21, 2016 0

How mature is your decision-making strategy?

In recent healthcare blogs I’ve looked at the need to drive more value from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and how this relies upon the ability to make decisions based on robust, data-driven insights. But what value will these decisions have if they're not founded on a mature data

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 17, 2016 0

How much does each country spend on healthcare?

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

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good

Will JonesOctober 13, 2016 0

Taking a “Moneyball” approach to child welfare workforce woes

Could you imagine running a business with a 35-90% annual turnover rate? What if the average time to fill a position was anywhere between 3-12 months? This alone would cripple most organizations, but is a common reality in state and local child welfare agencies. High turnover and vacancy rates are

Read More

Data for Good | Data Management

Dan StevensOctober 6, 2016 0

A playbook for analyzing real world intelligence in a health care setting

Real world data collected in a functioning health care setting instead of a controlled clinical environment can provide opportunities for new and deeper insights across life science and health care organizations. However, managing, analyzing and extracting actionable information from the varied available sources can present unique challenges. The sheer size of these

Read More

Data for Good | SAS Events

Becky GraebeSeptember 19, 2016 0

'Data for good is in the DNA of this organization'

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

Read More

Data for Good | Fraud & Security Intelligence | SAS Events

Anjelica CummingsSeptember 15, 2016 0

What’s your digital health care plan?

Historically, generations could expect to experience one – maybe at best – major technology disruption or transformation in their lifetime. That’s simply not the case today. Today it is more difficult than ever before to know what will transform the technology landscape in the next month or the next year.

Read More

Data for Good | SAS Events

Maggie MillerSeptember 1, 2016 0

Learn more about data for good at Analytics Experience

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

Read More

Data for Good

Paula BrownAugust 31, 2016 0

Partnering for prevention: Dignity Health and SAS combat sepsis

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.

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonAugust 24, 2016 0

A map of Zika cases in the US

As Zika starts spreading into the US, it will be important to have a way to track it. Therefore I wrote some SAS code to pull the latest data from the CDC website, and plot it on a map... But before we get into the details of my map, I

Read More

Data for Good

Katrina MillerAugust 16, 2016 0

How can we help other foster care youth soar like Simone Biles?

Foster youth present a unique challenge to educators. Probably the most famous former foster care child in the world right now is Simone Biles, already one of the more formidable and successful athletes in the history of American sports. As a big fan of women’s gymnastics, Biles has thrilled me with her accomplishments.

Read More

Advanced Analytics | Data for Good | Machine Learning | SAS Events

Polly Mitchell-GuthrieAugust 12, 2016 0

The benefits of artificial intelligence

Asking about the benefits of artificial intelligence and machine learning reminds me a little of the transition to suitcases with wheels. Do you remember lugging around those old suitcases? If not, good for you - this original advertisement from US Luggage will take you back! Thank Bernard Sadow for persistence with his

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonAugust 10, 2016 0

Solar and wind power in the United States

Where is solar and wind power generated in the US? Let's visualize this data on a map... I recently saw the following map on the metricmaps.org website. It caught my attention because it looks like North Carolina has a lot of solar power plants, whereas our neighboring states have very few.

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonJuly 8, 2016 0

Apparently the cool kids don't smoke any more

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 -

Read More

Data for Good | Machine Learning

Tom SaboJuly 6, 2016 0

Sentiment analysis, machine learning open up world of possibilities

When a person feels sufficiently wronged to lodge a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), there’s likely to be some negative sentiment involved. But is there a connection between the language they use and the likelihood they will be compensated by the offending company? At the upcoming Sentiment

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonJune 22, 2016 0

Are there Zika mosquitoes in your county?

Let's create a souped-up SAS map that can track Zika-carrying mosquitoes down to the county level, in the US! A few months ago, I wrote a blog post with a world map of documented locations of the Aedes mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus. The world map showed a high concentration

Read More

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonJune 14, 2016 0

The big fat truth about the US weight problem

I recently read an article that claims 35% of men, and 40% of women in the US are now obese. Yikes! I wondered when this happened, and whether it had been a gradual or sudden change. If I only had some graphs ... which the article didn't provide. I did some

Read More

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next