The Impact of Big data in Healthcare

Introduction of Big Data

The term “big data” generally refers to very intricate data sets with high volume that is being analyzed and converted into new data sources. These data are so large in volume that it is impossible to manage them with the usual digital processing software. Relatively, this concept of launching big data is not limited to social media platforms like Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter.  Big data is also being applied on businesses and other large companies.  By introducing Hadoop, an open-source framework specifically created to analyse and store big data sets, it makes massive amounts of data  accurately analyzed and stored. In fact, large companies that are known globally use big data technology to keep up with customer demand. They develop new models by formulating services and products and modelling relationship between key attributes of current product of past and present services.

Big Data in Healthcare

Big data is now transforming other industries such as the education sector and healthcare industry.  Embracing big data in healthcare potentially aids to tackle storage and analysis of patients’ data which are commonly collected and archived in clinics and hospitals.

Big data analytics in the healthcare industry have gained a lot of positive feedbacks. Changes in medical history and complex findings can now be easier to identify and analyzed. Big data facilitates health professionals and big firms to address a wide class of business activities as they look at the best strategies to cover from analytics to customer experience.

Big Data Applications in Healthcare

1. Electronic Health Records (EHR). Big data has vast applications in medical science. Every patient’s record is comprised of a medical file that is reformed to ensure that doctors can implement the right diagnosis in the soonest time possible with no danger of data replication and paperwork. Therefore, it is also consolidated with demographics of laboratory test, medical history, results and much more. When patients go to new lab tests then EHR can automatically track prescriptions or warning in order to identify if the patient has pursued orders or advices of doctors or not.
2. Enhance engagement to patients. In smart devices all information are trackable to identify lurking potential health risks. Data of potential patients can be recorded by these wearable instruments like their monitoring heart beats, sleeping habits, walking and some other activities. With the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, big data can study results to know the accurate treatment needed by the patients. Digitized laboratory equipments can also make them feel more convenient.

Big Data in Finding cure for diseases.   Big data has made a big role in helping healthcare experts take note of symptoms and study about a possible epidemic disease. In fact, it has helped even in treating a common cold. Although there is a lot of complexities in the storage and analysis of data in the healthcare industry, the application of big data has a great potential in finding cure not only to common illnesses but also to life-threatening diseases such as cancer.