Data & Analytics Spotlight: A Q&A with Stats Lover Rochelle Henderson

At first blush, you’d think that data and analytics have nothing to do with cancer, but then again, you haven’t met Rochelle Henderson.

Rochelle fell in love with statistics in graduate school. She loved the potential of the field to reduce uncertainty and help people make better decisions. Then a breast cancer diagnosis made it personal. Today, as Executive Director of Clinical Research & Analytics, Rochelle uses research to improve healthcare.

“That’s why I’m at Surescripts,” Rochelle told me. “To apply the research, not just publish and put it on the shelf.”

Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Chris: Did you always see yourself working in data and analytics?

Rochelle: Not at first. When I went to college, I wanted to be a public administrator, helping manage cities. But then I took a course in statistics and fell in love with it.

Chris: What made you fall in love with statistics?

Rochelle: There’s so much uncertainty in the world around us. Statistics, as a field, reduces uncertainty. It helps to guide and inform our decision-making. Is this initiative or that project likely to make a meaningful difference in patient health? The field of statistics, of data and analytics, gets us an answer to that kind of question.

Chris: So, you finished graduate school with a newfound love of statistics. What did you start out doing for work?

Rochelle: I started at the United Way in St. Louis, identifying trends and patterns on population demographics to support fundraising. Then I saw an ad for the role of a healthcare research analyst at Express Scripts, where I could work on outcomes research. That was the start of my career in healthcare.

Chris: What is “outcomes research”?

Rochelle: It’s looking at the relationship between things and reducing uncertainty by evaluating the outcomes of various healthcare interventions.

For example, at Express Scripts, I’m proud to have worked on the first “drug trend” report, which illuminated the difference between medical and pharmaceutical spending in healthcare. At the time, medical got most of the attention. Pharmaceutical, in contrast, was only around 10% of overall spending. But the drug trend report brought attention to new medications, and it shined a light on “blockbuster” medications for conditions like depression and high cholesterol. The report enabled employers and health plans to see the relevant trends and patterns so that they could manage pharmaceutical spending and optimize plan design.

Later, I did outcomes research on patient access at the National Pharmaceutical Council, where we asked: What gets in the way between a written prescription and pickup at the pharmacy? What gets in the way of treatment?

Chris: What’s an example of an obstacle that can get in the way?

Rochelle: The prior authorization process, which can have a lot of friction. On a personal note, I’m a breast cancer survivor, and during treatment I met a woman in the infusion center with untreated mouth blisters.

Chris: Why were her mouth blisters untreated?

Rochelle: Because of the friction. There are things they don’t tell you about cancer. In the movies, you always see the patient’s hair falling out from chemotherapy, but there can be other side effects, like the way your mouth blisters. There’s medication for that, but in this woman’s case, the medication required prior authorization. Some patients go without treatment because they can’t get through the prior authorization process. Or they can’t afford the $20 copay. For me, it’s personal.

Chris: And that ultimately brought you to Surescripts.

Rochelle: That’s why I’m at Surescripts—to apply the research, not just publish and put it on the shelf. In outcomes research, not only do you work to understand and discover, but you also work to translate your discoveries so that people can apply them to real-world problems. A big part of the problem is that healthcare generates an astounding quantity of data, which makes it tough to use to make timely decisions. Our goal is to help organizations draw actionable insights. With outcomes research, we can do just that: unlock the potential of healthcare data analytics to make the patient journey better, safer and less costly.

Chris: How could your research be applied to improve the prior authorization process?

Rochelle: First of all, I was already familiar with the process because of my background at Express Scripts. I also had access to my colleagues in healthcare. I had knowledge and information. All this gave me the confidence I needed to get through the prior authorization process and everything else. But as I interacted with other patients, I saw how fortunate I was because of my work experience and education. Not everyone has that experience or privilege.

For those who don’t necessarily have the kind of background I have (and even for those who do, frankly), we’re using data and analytics to improve the prior authorization process by exploring the what, the why, and the how of evidence-based criteria, to streamline approvals, to reduce delays, and to enhance patient care.

Chris: Speaking of using research to improve healthcare, we’ve built a dedicated data and analytics team here at Surescripts to do just that. Who do you want on the team?

Rochelle: Someone who is curious, a storyteller, and collaborative. I value collaboration, for example, because it helps us ask questions, reframe them, and then come up with more and better questions. Collaboration can make all the difference in the world. Good questions make for high quality outcomes research. In turn, the research will lead us to solutions for the problems we face in healthcare.