Decreasing Unwarranted Clinical Variation to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs

Health systems continue to face challenges in reducing unwarranted clinical variation, contributing to higher costs, inconsistent outcomes and wasted resources. This session explores a scalable, data-driven approach to clinical variation reduction, enabled by advanced analytics and supported by strong governance and provider engagement. Attendees will learn how a multisite healthcare system integrated data from disparate electronic healthcare records and billing systems into a unified analytics platform to generate real-time insights and identify high-priority areas for intervention. Using tools such as Key Process Analysis and condition-specific accelerators for sepsis and heart failure, the organization targeted improvement opportunities with the highest potential for impact. The initiative achieved measurable results, including significant reductions in sepsis and heart failure mortality, improved resource utilization, and greater clinician alignment around shared quality goals. The session will outline how clinical leadership, transparent data and tailored improvement frameworks contributed to sustained change. Participants will gain practical insights into designing and implementing a successful variation reduction program, including lessons learned, reproducible strategies and key enablers of success. The session is ideal for leaders looking to advance their organization’s analytics maturity, scale improvement efforts and deliver more consistent, high-value care.