What is big data and it’s capabilities in the context of healthcare IT services?
One of the most significant IT solutions to improve the healthcare sector is incorporating big data. Of course, in recent years, we have witnessed the advantages of using technology with healthcare data and patient information to improve patient care. At our disposal, we have hundreds of devices and opportunities to collect and analyze so much medical information and different data points, and then make sense of the data interpretations to adjust treatments. Let’s explore the role of big data in healthcare IT to better understand its pivotal influence on modern and future care.
What is Big Data?
Big data, in general, refers to the expansive data sets gathered that could be analyzed in different ways to reveal patterns, trends, and associations. This information is most often referring to the data collected from human behavior. In the context of big data in healthcare IT, the idea is to utilize all available health data from several sources — from electronic health records to clinical research to medical devices to health insurance information. Big data in healthcare IT has enormous potential in improving healthcare since the high volume of data is variable in structure and nature, as well as it’s essential accessibility to providers across the health industry.
Tracking Health
There is so much more valuable health-related data available today than ever. The digitalization of medical records and the advancement of patient portals means there are so many data points ready to be analyzed on an unimaginable scale. Furthermore, wearable fitness devices and our smartphones can track health metrics such as heart rate and blood pressure, and even seemingly minor details like steps taken and diet. All this information is processed in different ways for uses, such as helping doctors make a diagnosis or informing others on the state of general public health. Computerized analyses can better identify patterns in health data than humans. Using this information, we can make more accurate diagnoses, develop better medicines, and inform others on how to improve their quality of life.
Predictive Measures
Medical and data professionals come together to make sense of the information at hand and to interpret its meanings. Big data in healthcare IT can keep track of data from an individual to a global scale. It can track a patient’s history and make that readily available to healthcare providers in order to assist with treatment. In another example of big data’s potential, it could help a doctor with making a diagnosis by checking the individual patient’s information against a massive database of data gathered from clinical trials, previously documented cases, and even regional occurrences. Additionally, having available information on such a grand scale can also help predict and track epidemics. Organizations have used mobile phone locations to follow population movements in Africa to track the spread of the Ebola virus.
Healthcare IT Services and Solutions from Audley Consulting Group
The experts at Audley Consulting Group dedicate their passion and work to providing exceptional healthcare-centered IT services to our clients. Our consultants uncover your business needs to tailor an effective information technology solution that is unique to your situation. We proudly serve public and private sector clients in the Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia areas, and beyond. Audley Consulting group has delivered value-added IT services to businesses and government agencies. We can show how our healthcare IT services can benefit you too. To get started, call us at 301-770-6464, or visit our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.