In The News
A Datamasher Example
The data.gov case mentions one use of public data is to create mashups. I tried out Datamasher.org and created the Fast Food Multiplier. For each state, it divides the number of fast food restaurants per 100,000 residents by the percentage of active adults.
So the biggest numbers go to the states with the highest proportion of restaurants and the lowest percentage of active adults.
Take a look at the map and find out who’s first and who’s last!
Why the ‘Moneyball’ Approach Isn’t a Home Run for Health Care
LinkedIn directed me to this article.
Why the ‘Moneyball’ Approach Isn’t a Home Run for Health Care
It acknowledges the growing use of statistical analysis in healthcare and refers to our Intermoutain case. It then cautions about reliance on statistics. Some of the concerns we discussed are included.
Maybe this should be added to the readings for the next class.
A little more Moneyball…
Wednesday’s in-class activity will involve reading the Moneyball case and deciding whether you can staff an organization like you scout a baseball team.
To get you in the mood, here’s an short interview with Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball, on which the movie was based. It’s not especially content heavy, but manages to touch on a few of the themes we’ll be talking about in class and during the exercise. This is especially true of the “tips” he gives in the graphic near the end of the article.
What I learned from Steve Jobs Article
A little off topic, but this is an article every business student needs to read.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20117575-37/what-i-learned-from-steve-jobs/?tag=mncol
Taking Moneyball Tactics to the Enterprise
Today’s Network World included an article on applying the Moneyball theory to enterprise networking.
Does this make sense? You be the judge…
Moneyball: They made one of our cases into a movie!
Topics in information systems aren’t often fertile material for major motion pictures, but the book upon which one of our upcoming cases is based was made into a movie.
Moneyball, based on the book of the same name, stars Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. It’s about how the Oakland A’s used data analytics to choose players even though they lacked the resources of the wealthier teams.
From the IMDB page: “The story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.”
Watch the trailer:
Some more informaton on the HIV in Tanzania issue
Check out interesting articles about HIV testing in Tanzania.
http://www.pepfar.gov/press/92135.htm
http://uk.amref.org/what-we-do/hiv-voluntary-counselling-and-testing-tanzania/
Healthcare Data
LinkedIn directed me to this article about asking the right questions. The author suggests that healthcare providers start looking at the relationship between costs for nursing and costs of length of stay, adverse events, and hospital acquired infections.
What does Hurricaine Irene have to do with this course?
Something to think about as the semester approaches:
As the hurricaine comes nearer to the US, you’ll hear more and more about forecasting and “cones of uncertainty.” This actually ties in with many of the issues we’ll be discussing in this course. This CNN.com article talks about forecasting storms like Irene. Some of the issues they cite in accurate forecasting are (1) the ability to get quality data, (2) truly understanding the environment, and (3) the tension between effort and accuracy. These are some of the same issues we’ll be exploring, although in a different context.
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