How Real-Time Data Informs Decision-Making During COVID-19

Throughout the era of COVID-19, it’s become apparent that the only constant changes. The crisis continues to evolve, with updated guidelines and increasing case numbers, highlighting the need for up-to-date, real-time data rapidly.

“We also analyze the percentage of all people who test positive for COVID in a particular area. We use an algorithm that combines neighborhood-level data on patients who have COVID-like symptoms with data on people who have tested positive and live in the same neighborhood.”

The team then takes that data and projects it onto a map in a way that protects the privacy of individuals’ information. The map is accessible to anyone, and Providence expects that it to benefit the communities it serves.

Fundamentally, the tool relies on natural language processing-based symptom data and test data. However, this kind of analytics technology can sometimes come with challenges in the medical field, Robicsek said.