Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE B.52
Operational user.
FIGURE B.53
A farmer.
end-of-the-month reports. The farmer might look at key performance indicators (KPIs) on a regular
basis. The activities the farmer conducts consist of a query that looks for limited amounts of data. In a
word, the analytical activities of the farmer are very predictable.
Another type of user found in the healthcare information factory environment is the explorer
(
Figure B.54
). The explorer is very unpredictable. The explorer is someone who looks “outside the
box.” The explorer submits queries that are very large. Sometimes the explorer goes months without
submitting queries, then submits six queries in the same week. The pattern of querying of the explorer
is very erratic and unpredictable. Often the explorer finds nothing as a result of query activities. But
occasionally the explorer finds huge nuggets of gold.
The data miner is another type of analyst found in the healthcare information factory environment
(
Figure B.55
). The miner is someone who takes a subject and drills down deeply into the subject. The
miner looks at many, many cases of data to prove or disprove a hypothesis. The queries that the miner
submits are usually quite voluminous, looking at large amounts of data in a single analysis. The miner
typically looks at data over a lengthy period of time. The miner uses statistical techniques and may
have a lengthy academic background. The miner is steeped in or at least is comfortable with math-
ematics. The miner begins his or her processing with a hypothesis.
The last type of user found in the healthcare information factory environment is the tourist (
Figure
B.56
). The tourist is not particularly an expert in any given field, but the tourist is familiar with a wide
variety of fields. The tourist is someone who knows how to find things. The tourist uses the Internet,
directories, and metadata as the tools of the trade.
The healthcare information factory finds these different types of users in different places.
Figure
B.57
shows the different places in the healthcare information factory where the different types of
users are found.
Figure B.57
shows that the operational user is found at the provider level. There are farmers and
explorers who are found at the local data warehouse level. There are farmers and explorers found
using the unstructured database. And there are explorers, tourist, and miners who are found in the col-
lective common data warehouse.
