The world changes every day and now there are tools that a few decades ago would never have been imagined. Among the most relevant inventions, Big Data should be mentioned because it has revolutionized different sectors such as the health field. In addition, the management of various conditions has changed, so it offers benefits to both patients and the medical staff.
Definition and relevance
It is a term that refers to data sets so large and complex that they require non-traditional computer applications for data processing to treat them properly. But the most important thing is not only to have the information but to process it and know how it can be used in certain areas.
In part that is Big Data because in a nutshell it is a huge amount of information gathered from many sources, compiled in a computer system and subjected to analysis using advanced algorithms to reveal underlying trends and patterns.
But now the most important thing is to know the ways in which this innovation has benefited and benefits the medical and health fields.
Driving Precision Medicine
In the field of health care, he has helped create the Electronic Health Record (EHR). It consists of creating an extensive registry of information on the health of patients, which is extracted from visits to the doctor, hospital stays and data from portable devices.
HCE streamlines provider workflow by using big data to improve research and patient care. Likewise, it has also been used to develop an algorithm that can, with 82% accuracy, determine if a person will need a hospital stay one year prior to actual admission.
Thanks to the collection of Big Data, hospitals can now more quickly identify patients who would benefit from a change in treatment, potentially preventing serious complications from chronic diseases. This phenomenon of tailored medical treatment is called precision medicine. When massive amounts of information are processed and specific patterns are extracted, patient profiles and patterns can be brought out, creating a trend.
The future of healthcare
The need for valuable information for the treatment and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is more urgent than ever. A comprehensive approach to data analysis can help healthcare professionals better understand these conditions, their prognoses, and the possible complications they may present.
Big data analysis relies on large amounts of data, and people with NCDs create a huge amount in their day-to-day life. Different tools like glucometers create data. So do glucose monitoring devices and their built-in digital apps, portable exercise monitors, smart blood pressure cuffs, Bluetooth-enabled bathroom scales, and smart insulin pens.
This tool has the potential to be the next wave of improvements for the management of different health conditions. Although the technology is still in its infancy, it is already possible to see some of the benefits of machine learning and artificial intelligence in health. The future of medicine is increasingly promising thanks to advances in this expanding field.