“R we there yet?” A quick, free trip to a GRC analysis and modeling go-to

Submitted by KHoward on November 7, 2019 - 8:31 am
Dr. Robert Ashmead leads internal training to enhance "R" language and environment versatility

Health research and analysis are essential tools in telling the story of how Ohioans access quality health care and identifying where gaps still exist. Because data quality is so integral to informing health policy decision making, GRC stays ahead of a wide variety of data analysis methods, programs and software.

That’s why GRC Research Scientist Dr. Robert Ashmead is leading internal and external trainings to enhance “R” language and environment versatility in and around health policy research in Ohio.

“As more sectors of the economy and educational institutions turn to the open-source, community-built and corporate-backed power of R, we continue to find new innovations within the software that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of complex research analysis.”

At GRC, the newly revamped Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (OMAS) dashboard and forthcoming Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (OPAS) dashboard were built using the R library’s wide variety of statistical and graphical techniques, allowing data to be displayed in a more impactful way. 

“Enhancing the application of R to specific projects within an organization can better inform decision making and improve the communication of vital information,” added Ashmead. “It is an invaluable tool in the ever evolving research environment.”     

Ultimately, Ashmead said he sees the widespread use of R and similar programs as an opportunity to foster collaboration through a common coding language and improve health outcomes through innovative practices across Ohio.