With an increase in the use of technology, healthcare systems worldwide face challenges due to patient expectations. It becomes challenging to improve healthcare services while simultaneously containing the costs.
However, this is where Big Data comes in to help. With Big Data around, healthcare providers can detect patterns and turn high volumes of data into actionable knowledge. This will help in precision medicine and decision-making.
In some contexts, big data and mobile apps offer meaningful solutions for patient care and the generation of value for healthcare organizations. So, there is every reason to continue embracing technology for better healthcare services.
But for this to happen, all the relevant stakeholders in the field must come together and join hands. Efforts must be seen in building the technological infrastructure to converge and house the large volume of healthcare data and educating citizens on the benefits of this new frontier.
With so doing, Big Data and mobile apps can see the healthcare system attaining its goals unprecedentedly.
Is Big Data Needed in Healthcare?
Big Data doesn’t necessarily mean large data volumes. If it only said that, then there wouldn't be a need for the healthcare system to employ this strategy in their services. Most of them can contain their data in a robust relational database.
Big Data, in this context, refers to datasets too ambiguous for typical database software tools to capture, store, manage, and at the same time, analyze. Therefore, the application of Big Data in healthcare systems can result in the quicker and more efficient management of patients.
Other than the patient data contained in the text, different data types include images and sounds sourced from ultrasounds and x-rays, MRI imaging, and Doppler. Some doctors even request that their meetings with patients be documented and recorded for future referrals.
Though it happens, the collection of this information is mostly without order. This means you can't retrieve the data in neat tables and columns of a relational database. With Big Data, everything gets arranged in order, so reaching for the info when needed becomes faster and easier.
Recently, the demand for data scientists to extract meaningful information from random and non-sequential databases has gotten high. However, these skills could be more in supply, which makes them very expensive.
The results have been tremendous, and healthcare systems have managed to employ these skills. Patients' lives have been made more straightforward, and medical practitioners can quickly diagnose their clients without significant complexities.
Big Data, in this context, refers to datasets too ambiguous for typical database software tools to capture, store, manage, and at the same time, analyze. Therefore, the application of Big Data in healthcare systems can result in the quicker and more efficient management of patients.
Other than the patient data contained in the text, different data types include images and sounds sourced from ultrasounds and x-rays, MRI imaging, and Doppler. Some doctors even request that their meetings with patients be documented and recorded for future referrals.
Though it happens, the collection of this information is mostly without order. This means you can't retrieve the data in neat tables and columns of a relational database. With Big Data, everything gets arranged in order, so reaching for the info when needed becomes faster and easier.
Recently, the demand for data scientists to extract meaningful information from random and non-sequential databases has gotten high. However, these skills could be more in supply, which makes them very expensive.
The results have been tremendous, and healthcare systems have managed to employ these skills. Patients' lives have been made more straightforward, and medical practitioners can quickly diagnose their clients without significant complexities.
So, is Big Data needed for healthcare?
Yes, and the future promises advancements in analytics capable of better monitoring health. However, there is a need to address issues such as security and data privacy.
Benefits of Big Data Analytics for Healthcare Systems
Big Data analysis stems from associating various information captured electronically. Over the years, the industry has seen new tools, platforms, and methodologies in storing and structuring such data.
This has also seen the same happen in the healthcare system. To date, Big Data can collect information from social media, electronic health records, patient summaries, pharmaceutical and genomic data, clinical trials, mobile applications, and sensors, among other indicators.
With such amounts of data, healthcare professionals are at an advantage of making their work easier. Big Data involves collecting individual data and moves to the fusion of heterogeneous information from different sources.
Therefore, Big Data can assist in revealing new approaches in improving health by offering insights into the following:
This has also seen the same happen in the healthcare system. To date, Big Data can collect information from social media, electronic health records, patient summaries, pharmaceutical and genomic data, clinical trials, mobile applications, and sensors, among other indicators.
With such amounts of data, healthcare professionals are at an advantage of making their work easier. Big Data involves collecting individual data and moves to the fusion of heterogeneous information from different sources.
Therefore, Big Data can assist in revealing new approaches in improving health by offering insights into the following:
- Causes and outcomes of diseases
- Improved disease prediction and prevention
- Enhanced precision medicine and drug targets
Improved Health of the Population
Risk indicators and trends can easily be identified using big data, especially by analyzing such data sets. This will help health professionals identify people at a greater risk of contracting some ailments or conditions. They will then be treated before such conditions become severe, thereby saving many lives.
Increase in Healthcare Efficiency
Such representative data is critical for helping healthcare systems improve their efficiency, which translates to better patient service. It becomes easy for healthcare providers to identify places that need improvements or could use some automation for better delivery of services. Such measures will eventually lead to cost savings for such healthcare firms, which will also trickle down to patients' healthcare costs.
What is the Healthcare System Missing Out on for Neglecting Big Data?
One of the most apparent missouts in this context is that Big Data can help save lives. Besides algorithms, machine learning developers can pair healthcare analysis services with AI and open new capabilities in the health sector.
Stanford University computer scientists released a report in July 2018 that they used AI to predict the side effects of different drug combinations. Before this, the CDC reported that 35% of the U.S. population used a variety of prescriptions.
With so many drugs on the market, testing such drugs together is impossible. Therefore, the combination of untested medications might result in adverse experiences. But with Big Data, this can quickly and safely be evaded.
Final Thoughts As the world's population increases rapidly, so do new diseases. Therefore, as a healthcare provider, you must know how to respond to and deal with these new diseases.
Similarly, you must have easy access to meaningful information on your patients' records. The role of Big Data and mobile apps in healthcare is to easily connect and receive healthcare professionals' needed assistance concerning their health.
With so doing, healthcare professionals can manage many patients remotely because they have all the necessary information.
Stanford University computer scientists released a report in July 2018 that they used AI to predict the side effects of different drug combinations. Before this, the CDC reported that 35% of the U.S. population used a variety of prescriptions.
With so many drugs on the market, testing such drugs together is impossible. Therefore, the combination of untested medications might result in adverse experiences. But with Big Data, this can quickly and safely be evaded.
Final Thoughts As the world's population increases rapidly, so do new diseases. Therefore, as a healthcare provider, you must know how to respond to and deal with these new diseases.
Similarly, you must have easy access to meaningful information on your patients' records. The role of Big Data and mobile apps in healthcare is to easily connect and receive healthcare professionals' needed assistance concerning their health.
With so doing, healthcare professionals can manage many patients remotely because they have all the necessary information.