Is Big Data the Prescription for Healthcare?

Have you ever encountered slow-moving processing of data in healthcare?

hospital

For some, this may seem like a rhetorical question – or simply a joke – but the truth is uncanny.  Healthcare undoubtedly deals with large quantities of data, and it’s only natural that technology becomes the solution.

It may be the natural step to a more efficient healthcare environment.  Big data could hold the key to a smarter, faster healthcare industry.

Massive Influx of Data in Healthcare

How much data is in healthcare? 

In an interview with Patrick Kelly of Avnet Services Healthcare Practice, Dana Gardner reports that the number is at 500 petabytes of digital healthcare data in 2012.  If that isn’t large enough, Kelly expects it to reach 25,000 petabytes by 2020.

Naturally, this can cause some significant problems.  Electronic health records have flooded the industry.  Based on a report from KLAS Enterprises, Neil Versel notes, 55 percent of interviewed healthcare provider representative said that electronic health records were a “key factor” in future purposes of intravenous infusion pumps.  It gives perspective to how digital data in healthcare can merge with devices in the industry.

Big Data’s Role in the Industry

Take a look at how the industry is unfolding technologically, and it’s easy to see how big data is transforming healthcare.

After all, it’s how the number of digital data has taken such a sharp turn upwards presently and in the future.

From medical data streams to medical imaging – and much more – big data has taken the industry by storm. It has made a considerable impact to the state of healthcare in a multitude of ways.

How will it play out in the future?

As the medical world harnesses the implications of developing technology, so too will big data develop in response to those trends.  From electronic health records to diagnostic tools and much, much  more, there is a lot that can take place in the future of healthcare.

Bottom Line

How will big data specifically mesh with the changing world of healthcare?  We probably don’t know the answer.

One thing is clear: Big data is here to stay.

Healthcare cannot survive without a powerful big data solution to take care of the technological needs of the industry.  Big data is poised to make a difference in the deep and important field of healthcare.

How it all works out will be an interesting story.

But look for big data to serve as the prescription for the industry.

About the Author: Brian Neese covers an array of subjects on the web, among which include technology, small business and SEO.
License: Creative Commons image source

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