Give Your Passion a Plunge. Be a Healthcare Data Scientist

An Exploratory Approach Towards the Role of a Healthcare Data Scientist

Experimenting with skills and career is a natural human phenomenon. When, especially, it comes to a career in technology, none can talk in absolutes.

It is often observed that the ones who are associated with healthcare, shift directions often and put their analytical skills to test.

Given that the healthcare sector is experimenting and exploring more high-end technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data to improve their medical infrastructures, many healthcare professionals and the ones seeking a career in technology are drawn towards shaping a career in healthcare and data science.

Importance of Data Science in the Healthcare Sector  

Medicine and healthcare that once depended on the discretion of doctors now run on advanced technology like data science. Big data in healthcare is the most cherished asset. The fact that pandemic has kept hospitals crowded and busy also compliments the fact that hospitals with obsolete technologies lack efficiency and lag behind inpatient care. On the other side, there are immense job opportunities for the ones skilled in information technology and analytics.

Shaping Yourself as a Healthcare Data Scientist

The primary criterion for being a healthcare data scientist is that one needs to focus mainly on health data. This is an important point to note as several courses on healthcare data science oversee this and often stick to the learning of general data science. However, one must keep in mind that a healthcare data scientist should have foundational skills like healthcare, bioinformatics, medical/genomic science, and health economics.

Quality Requisites

• Must be adept in Mathematics
• Must be adept in informatics
• Must be adept in Computer Science
• Must have sound knowledge in Epidemiology
• Must be a post-graduate

Specialized Programs and Courses on Healthcare Data Science: 

• Masters in Healthcare Science by Harvard University
• Master of Health Data Science by SRM university MSc in Health Data Science by University of Exeter
• MSc in Health Data Science by Swansea University

Few Most Important Applications of Data Science in Healthcare

Monitoring Problems 

A human body generates data that is equal to around two terabytes of data daily. Almost everything starting from blood sugar rates to sleeping patterns can be tracked. Health practitioners have leveraged advances in technology to monitor their patients easily.

Machine learning algorithms are now used to track heart rates and respiratory tract complications.

Enhancing and Ensuring Efficiency and Accuracy 

With the advent of data science medicine and healthcare, treatment methodologies and techniques have undergone sea changes. The primary contribution made by data science is that it has ensured and catalyzed efficiency and accuracy in report generation.

Data Science turned Patient Care into Precision Medicine 

Technological advancements have shown us that only patient care is not enough. Healthcare should also focus on precision medicine. With the assistance of modern technology, doctors can now track the clinical courses of patients and confirm proper diagnoses. This can reduce death rates and result in predictable medical results.