A project team from the University of Washington Information School in partnership with SEIU 775 Benefits Group conducted data analysis in order to understand and communicate the prevalence of chronic diseases in the Home Care Aide workforce through statistical analysis and evaluation
Home Care Aides (HCAs) are the future of long-term care in the USA, allowing older adults and people with disabilities to live in the community and age in place. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the HCA workforce suffers from high rates of chronic diseases. Our team has partnered with SEIU 775 Benefits Group to understand and communicate the prevalence of chronic diseases in the HCA workforce through statistical analysis and evaluation. By utilizing medical insurance claim data, our team has generated an interactive report that provides information on a vulnerable group of healthcare providers in order to support the future of a healthy workforce.
Timeline: January 2019 - June 2019
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HCAs are an integral part of the Healthcare Workforce. The job of an HCA allows older adults and people with disabilities to live in the community and age in place by providing in home care.
They are:
- Primarily Female: SEIU 775's HCA population is 84% female and 16% male.
- Older Adults: The average age of an HCA working for SEIU 775 is 48 years old
- Diverse: The HCA population comes from a wide array of backgrounds
Home Care Aide is one of the fastest growing jobs in the country
44,000 Caregivers are currently working in Washington State.
76,000 Caregivers will be needed in Washington State by the year 2030.
"This project is key to helping ensure equity to support the future of a healthy workforce"
Chronic diseases are defined as conditions that last one year or more and require medical attention and/or limit activities of daily living. Many adults suffer from chronic diseases including a significant proportion of SEIU 775’s HCA workforce. This diverse population of HCAs is also known to historically suffer from socio-economic disadvantages.
The prevalence and determinants of disparities in chronic diseases within the HCA population in Washington State are currently unknown, however, these unknowns can be better understood through the analysis of data drawn from medical insurance claims. Through the findings revealed in the analysis, the SEIU Health Trust team will better be able to create a plan to address these disparities.
Working with this data will help...
- Track progress of health outcomes over time
- Generate information on a vulnerable group of health care providers about whom we know very little
- Address health disparities with appropriate allocation of resources
SEIU 775 Benefits Group
The nation’s leading organization dedicated to improving the skills, health and sustainability of the home care workforce. Using innovation and technology, we partner with government, labor and private industries ensuring that Washington home care workers have access to the skills and benefits they need to thrive (Learn more).
UW iSchool Capstone
Students identify an information problem or need. They then develop the approach and methods needed to address the problem, conduct the research and present the findings in both oral and written formats (Learn more).
Yasmine Hejazi
Role: Project Manager & Data Analyst
Email: yhejazi@uw.edu
Experience: Data Analyst Intern at PEMCO Insurance, Software Engineer Intern at Empower UC Berkeley, Research Assistant at UW Sociolinguistics Lab
Vanessa Hsu
Role: Data Analyst
Email: vaneshsu@uw.edu
Experience: Software Development Intern at AT&T, Software Engineer Apprentice at Expedia
Anni Yan
Role: Data Analyst
Email: yan530@uw.edu
Experience: Program Coordinator Assistant at UW Continuum, Teaching Assistant at UW iSchool, Project Management Assistant at Portedi
Katie Breland
Role: UX Designer
Email: katiebre26@gmail.com
Experience: Head Conceptual Designer for SeismoCard , Multimedia Specialist for UW Housing & Food Services