Barry SandisonDeputy Secretary, Health and Information

Department of Human Services

Data: creating value for service delivery

Data: creating value for service delivery

Conference – “Information: the Currency of the Digital Economy”29 May 2014Presented by Barry Sandison

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Commission of Audit: Emerging View of

Information driving better services

There is untapped potential to use anonymised data and new data analytic techniques to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government.

The Commission recommends that the Government, recognising the need to safeguard privacy concerns, rapidly improve the use of data in policy development, service delivery…..

Commission of Audit; Recommendation 61; Data

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DHS - INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

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DHS’s Information Usage Informing Service Design

The administrative data collected whilst delivering payments and services under Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support means:

•We know where people live •When many have worked or not •How they’ve responded to major life shocks •How they were treated for illness

We can follow family journeys through the social welfare system down the generations to help pinpoint disadvantage

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DHS’s Transaction Volumes

DHS is the largest Govt. provider of digital services in Australia.

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Growth in Customer Self Service

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DHS’s role in Digital Services in Australia

Collecting Data and Facilitating access while protecting privacy

•Authority to release data rests with the policy agencies responsible for the legislation under which administrative data is collected

•Strong protocols ensure clear accountability for data collection and release

•Existing gateways facilitate access to researchers to request de-identified data

•Communication up front helps researchers request the data they need

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Vast range of information collection

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DHS’s role in Digital Services in Australia

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a key channel in the delivery of electronic services for the department.

EDI Comprises:

• Centrepay

• Confirmation Services

• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

• HPOS (claiming Medicare services at provider)

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DHS’s Information Usage Informing Service Design

The administrative data we collect in delivering payments and services under Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support provides an invaluable source of information.

We can contrast and compare the experiences of sub-groups within the population.

We can look at people and groups through the mid to long term.

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DHS’s Information UsageCase Study: Tracking behaviour longitudinally (What services work)

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DHS’s Information UsageCase Study: Tracking behaviour longitudinally (What services work)

- A collection of sites and customer outcomes were tracked over a two and a half year period to capture a gap in services

- A digital service offer was implemented to address this gap- The post service offer data was analysed and shows that the gap has closed

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DHS’s Information UsageCase Study: Predicting Potential Compliance Risk

Domestic child Support customers Collect, No Debt (580k)

Customers with debt within three

months (43k)

Predicted debt customers (18k)

Predicted customers with debt

(12k)

Predicted customers

no debt (6k)

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DHS’s Information UsageCase Study: Detecting High Growth MBS service item

- MBS item attributes and service level history are collected to predict the reasonable service level for each MBS item in the new year

- A high risk item is flagged out if the actual service level for the item is significantly above the expected level

- Further investigation will be taken for high risk items targeted

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DHS’s Information UsageCase Study: Similarity Risk Analysis

- Based on the clustering analysis, providers with similar behaviour will be clustered into clusters

- Based on the known high risk target, providers in the same clusters is worthwhile being investigated.

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DHS’s Information Usage Collaboration

A potential to better use a range of “Big Data” sets•E.g. the data held by the Commonwealth and the States on “common customers” (to inform service delivery responses)

Potential for researchers to access DHS “Big Data” •Established gateways enable researchers to access statistical (non – identified) data

Collaboration on issues of mutual high priority•Potential for collaboration with external researchers on issues of mutual high priority

Opportunity for Australians to more easily access their records

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Summary