6 Ways Big Data is Changing the Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry is one of the largest and most complex sectors in modern day society, and there is a constant demand for a better and more efficient service for patients. Providing an effective and efficient service for patients is much more important than in other industries, as failings can result in fatal consequences, and with an aging population, new treatment models and data storage are an essential part of daily medical treatment.

Therefore, it is no surprise that recent technological advancements have been used to seek out new technologies and more effective solutions when it comes to the digital handling of information. One of the biggest new technologies that has had a huge influence on the health sector today is the use of Big Data, which refers to the huge quantities of information that are now consolidated and analyzed through the digitization of records. With increasing notions that the modern-day healthcare industry is being run like a business, comparisons can be made between how health professionals are now handling and collecting large amounts of data similarly to entrepreneurs. Therefore, in this article we will discuss 6 ways that Big Data and the impact of healthcare analytics is changing the healthcare industry.

Health Tracking

Through the use of Big Data and Analytics in the healthcare industry, healthcare professionals can now track the vitals and statistics of different patients and service users. This is revolutionary to how effective healthcare will be, as it allows for the monitoring of patients in a way that has never been done before. Through health tracking, not only can a patient's heart rate, sleep, and exercise be monitored, but recent medical innovations can now go that one step further and record a patient's pulse, blood pressure, and glucose levels. This allows for a more pro-active and forward-thinking healthcare industry, as health professionals can limit those who spend time in the hospital by monitoring and intervening before a serious health problem occurs.

Reducing Cost

The price of healthcare does not come cheap, and many hospitals find themselves struggling with the various costs that come from offering medical treatment. Therefore, Big Data being able to reduce costs is a welcome addition to the healthcare industry. This is possible as Big Data can use predictive analysis to help to predict admission rates, which can help with staff allocation. This helps the hospital to know how many staff members are required and stops them from under or over booking them, saving them money and resources.

Similarly, by using health tracking, and monitoring a patient's health before hospitalization is needed, this can reduce serious health problems, and the money that needs to be spent on treatment for patients.  This can amount to a considerable saving, and research has suggested that predictive analysis could save medical organizations around 25 percent of their annual costs over the next five-year period.

Assisting High-Risk Patients

Through the digitization of hospital and patient records, high-risk patients can now be better assisted and more closely monitored. For example, if a patient has repeatedly been admitted into hospital, then data can be gathered to identify patterns in their health problems and any chronic issues can be identified. This will have a huge impact on the modern-day healthcare industry as this development in understanding will be able to provide better treatment for patients and reduce the number of repeat hospital visits that the patients have to experience, and that hospitals have to pay for.

Limits Human Errors

There are many occasions where the wrong medication has been prescribed or appointments have been missed due to human errors that can have huge consequences. While some human errors are unavoidable when staff are required to handle large quantities of data, the use of Big Data will help to reduce mistakes being made. Software can monitor the data that is collaborated on patients from different medical professionals and will flag up any prescription mistakes that have been made, which will help to save lives. This is great software for healthcare professionals that see many patients in one day.

Advancement in Healthcare Sector

The use of Big Data and analytics provides the opportunity for a range of new roles and jobs within the healthcare industry. While many have been suspicious of the influence that big data will have on traditional care and treatment models, the digitization of patient records and the use of software tools allows staff to spend more time treating and less time recording. Similarly, staff can now be assisted by the information and data that these innovative tools provide.

There are also job opportunities now available that have been provided by the use of Big Data, such as DNP to ENL programs, which equips nurses with executive knowledge and competencies in data driven strategies, leadership skills, and the ability to work with and establish transformative care models. Not only is this a path for career development, but also gives staff the opportunity to benefit from a generous dnp executive leadership salary.

Enhanced Patient Engagement

Research has found that through the use of big data and new treatment models, patients can become directly involved in their own health and wellbeing, which can push them to be more health conscious and lead a healthier lifestyle. The smart device industry has skyrocketed in recent years, meaning that more people than ever before now have a keen interest in monitoring their heart rate, steps taken, and sleeping patterns. All this trackable and important data is recorded on a daily basis through these devices without a medical professional being present. This helps patients to be more pro-active in their own health, by monitoring changes and being aware of any health concerns as they develop. This will have a huge impact on the time and resources spent by medical professionals and organizations.

For some, the prospect of Big Data playing a big role in the healthcare industry is a daunting and worrying prospect, but it could revolutionize how we receive medical treatment, the quality of it, and the resources that go into making people better; as well as save lives!