PREPARING FOR INFLUENZA SEASON
The United States has an influenza season where more people than usual suffer from the flu. Hospitals and clinics need additional staff to adequately treat these extra patients. The medical staffing agency provides this temporary staff.
Objective: Determine when to send staff, and how many, to each state.
DATA
Influenza deaths by geography
Source: CDC
Population data by geography, time, age, and gender
Source: US Census Bureau
SKILLS
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Translating business
requirements -
Data cleaning
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Data integration
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Data transformation
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Statistical hypothesis testing
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Visual analysis
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Forecasting
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Storytelling
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Presenting results
HISTORICAL INFLUENZA DATA WITH POPULATION
Throughout the period from 2009 to 2017, three primary leaders in influenza-related deaths were consistently observed:
California, New York, and Texas. Alaska recorded no influenza-related deaths during this time.
Over time, the distribution remains largely unchanged, except for specific states such as Pennsylvania and Florida, where the number of deaths fluctuates, exhibiting periods of increase and decrease.
CONCLUSION
For effective support during influenza outbreaks among the 85+ population, it's advised to deploy extra staff to the
top 10 states prioritizing this demographic.
Beginning deployment in November is recommended to proactively address the December spike in influenza-related
deaths, ensuring focused and timely healthcare assistance.
NEXT STEPS
1
Conduct a comprehensive survey of hospitals and additional staff deployed during the peak influenza period. Gather feedback on the effectiveness of the allocated resources, challenges faced, and areas of improvement.
2
Analyze the survey results to assess the impact of the deployed staff on healthcare provisions, particularly in high-risk states identified during the peak influenza season.
3
Identify key areas that require improvement or modifications in the staff deployment strategy based on feedback and data analysis. This includes refining the timing, quantity, or specialized skills of deployed staff.