Big Data, Big Changes
If you’re online in 2024 — which you are, since you’re here — you’ll most certainly have noticed the overwhelming quantity of data being collected and parsed. It’s a universal experience, from a simple click on a website’s request for cookies to the data hoovers that social media platforms represent. But medical data is unique in that it’s both far more protected than standard user data and especially valuable. Valuable to whom, you ask? Practically everyone. Especially when collected into its “big data” state, medical data can represent a gold mine of information for researchers, insurers, physicians, and much more.
The explosion of healthcare data presents immense opportunities to improve patient outcomes and save lives. With the application of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, big data is transforming the healthcare sector in remarkable ways. Here, we’ll explore the incredible benefits of big data in healthcare, ranging from predicting disease outbreaks to personalising treatment plans and optimising hospital operations. We’ll also look at some potential challenges as well as ways to handle them.
The Explosion of Healthcare Data
The Digitization of Healthcare
In recent years, healthcare organisations have witnessed an unprecedented explosion of clinical data as the industry undergoes digital transformation. Electronic health records (EHRs), laboratory information systems, medical imaging technologies, and wearable devices are generating vast troves of information. Additionally, new sources of healthcare big data are emerging, such as genomic sequencing and mobile health apps. The volume of healthcare data is growing at an exponential rate, presenting both opportunities and challenges for the industry.
Sources of Healthcare Big Data
Healthcare big data includes a wide range of data types, including medical records, surgical records, behavioural data, biometrics, and living conditions. It also encompasses non-healthcare data, such as social media engagement, marketing efforts, patient experience, and satisfaction. Data from healthcare delivery, such as staffing schedules, patient waiting room times, insurance claim data, medical referrals, employee performance metrics, and supply chain metrics, can also be analysed. The challenge lies in collecting, consolidating, and analysing these diverse data sources to derive meaningful insights.
How Big Data is Used in Healthcare
Predicting Outbreaks and Disease Patterns
Big data analytics enables real-time monitoring of health data from various sources, including social media, EHRs, and wearable devices. By analysing this vast amount of data, healthcare professionals can identify patterns, predict disease outbreaks, and take proactive measures to prevent the spread of diseases. For example, analysing social media posts and search queries can provide early indications of disease outbreaks, allowing public health officials to respond swiftly and allocate resources effectively.
A small example, and one of many, is the UK’s National Joint Registry. This dataset tracks the effectiveness and outcomes of joint replacement operations. Large datasets of longitudinal data help show a path forward for physicians in future treatments. These kinds of datasets are becoming all the more popular and prevalent, from ophthalmology to cancer research.
Personalising Treatment
Big data analytics allows healthcare providers to develop personalised treatment plans by leveraging data from millions of patients. Analysing patient data, including medical history, genetic information, and treatment outcomes, helps identify optimal treatments for individuals based on their unique characteristics. This personalised approach improves treatment efficacy, patient satisfaction, and overall outcomes. For instance, by analysing patient data, providers can identify factors that discourage patients from following recommended treatments and develop strategies to address these barriers.
Reducing Costs and Improving Efficiency
Big data analytics plays a crucial role in cost reduction and process optimization within healthcare organisations. By analysing operational data, such as supply chain management and resource utilisation, healthcare providers can identify areas of waste, streamline processes, and make data-driven decisions to improve efficiency and reduce costs. For example, analysing staffing schedules and patient flow data can help optimise staffing levels and reduce patient waiting times, leading to improved patient satisfaction and better resource allocation.
Wearables and Remote Monitoring
The data collected from wearables and remote monitoring devices, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, provide valuable insights for preventive care. Continuous monitoring of vital signs, activity levels, sleep patterns, and other health metrics allows healthcare professionals to detect early warning signs, intervene proactively, and promote healthier lifestyles. For example, wearable devices can help identify potential health risks, such as chronic insomnia or elevated heart rates, and prompt interventions to prevent future complications.
Big Data’s Role in Saving Lives
Identifying At-risk Patients to Prevent Avoidable Hospital Readmissions
Big data analytics enables healthcare providers to identify at-risk patients who are likely to experience complications or require hospital readmission. By analysing a multitude of patient data, including medical records, vital signs, medication adherence, and social determinants of health, predictive models and algorithms can identify individuals who may be at a higher risk of readmission. This proactive approach allows healthcare teams to intervene early, provide targeted interventions, and reduce the likelihood of avoidable readmissions, ultimately saving lives and improving patient outcomes.
Improving Clinical Trial Recruitment and Accuracy
Big data revolutionises the way clinical trials are conducted by improving recruitment and enhancing accuracy. Traditional recruitment methods for clinical trials can be time-consuming and challenging, often resulting in slow enrollment and limited participant diversity. With big data analytics, healthcare organisations can analyse vast amounts of patient and population data to identify suitable candidates for clinical trials based on specific criteria. This data-driven approach streamlines recruitment, increases participant diversity, and ensures the accuracy of trial results. By optimising clinical trial processes, big data analysis accelerates the development and approval of lifesaving treatments.
Earlier Detection of Potential Pandemics
By monitoring vast amounts of data from various sources, such as social media, electronic health records, and syndromic surveillance systems, health authorities can identify emerging patterns and detect unusual disease outbreaks. Advanced analytics algorithms can analyze this data in real time and provide actionable insights, enabling public health officials to respond swiftly, allocate resources effectively, and implement preventive measures. By detecting and responding to potential pandemics early, big data analytics helps save lives by reducing the spread of infectious diseases and enabling timely interventions.
Real-Time Advanced Analytics during Surgery
Big data analytics facilitates real-time advanced analytics during surgery, providing surgeons and healthcare teams with critical insights and decision support. By integrating data from multiple sources, such as electronic health records, imaging data, intraoperative monitors, and wearable devices, real-time analytics platforms can analyse and interpret complex data streams. Surgeons can receive real-time alerts, predictive analytics, and visualisation tools that enhance surgical precision, reduce complications, and improve patient safety. The ability to make data-driven decisions during surgery can have a significant influence on patient outcomes, enabling faster interventions and more successful procedures.
4 Challenges of Implementing Big Data in Healthcare
Privacy and Data Security Concerns
Healthcare data contains sensitive and personal information, making privacy and data security a paramount concern. Safeguarding patient confidentiality, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations (such as HIPAA), and protecting against data breaches are critical challenges that must be addressed to build trust and maintain data integrity. Healthcare organisations must invest in robust data privacy and security measures to protect patient information.
Integration Difficulties Due to Old Systems
Many healthcare organisations still rely on legacy systems that may not be designed to handle the complexities of big data. Integrating these older systems with modern big data infrastructure can be a daunting task that may require significant investment in technology upgrades, data migration, and interoperability solutions. Healthcare organisations must develop comprehensive integration strategies to ensure seamless data flow and accessibility across different systems.
If you find yourself in this circumstance, you’re in the right place. SmartDev can help migrate data and upgrade systems to modernise your data tools. Be sure to reach out to us if this is you.
Regulatory Compliance
The healthcare industry is subject to compliance requirements and stringent regulations. Implementing big data initiatives must align with regulatory frameworks, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and local data protection laws. Ensuring that data collection, storage, and analysis practices comply with these regulations adds complexity and requires careful planning. Healthcare organisations must establish robust data governance frameworks and implement appropriate safeguards to comply with regulatory requirements.
Need for Data Science Skills to Glean Insights
Extracting meaningful insights from big data requires expertise in data science and analytics. Healthcare organisations need skilled professionals who can effectively analyse and interpret complex datasets to derive actionable insights. Acquiring and retaining data science talent can be a challenge due to the high demand and competitive job market in this field. Healthcare organisations must invest in data science training and development programs to build a capable and knowledgeable workforce.
Big Data, You, and SmartDev
Big data analytics is already transforming the healthcare industry, improving patient outcomes, enhancing operational efficiency, and enabling proactive care. By harnessing the power of healthcare big data, healthcare organisations can predict disease outbreaks, personalise treatment plans, reduce costs, and save lives. However, implementing big data initiatives comes with challenges, such as privacy concerns, integration difficulties, regulatory compliance, and the need for data science expertise. By addressing these challenges and leveraging the incredible benefits of big data, the healthcare industry can usher in a new era of data-driven healthcare, transforming the way care is delivered and improving the lives of patients around the world.
Whether you’re an insurer, medical facility, or in anything healthcare related, you’ll want to make sure you stay ahead of the curve in big data trends. That’s where we come in: With our broad expertise and global tech solutions, we can help you get where you need to go when it comes to data management. Reach out to us to discuss a project and we’ll get the ball rolling. There’s no stopping this transition, so it’s best to keep on top of it.
