Beyond the status it has achieved as a buzzword, if leveraged properly, "big data" does stand to improve care delivery, outcomes and physician practices.
"Technology has given consumers a higher standard for services that are instantly accessible, and expectations remain the same for the healthcare industry," Girish Navani, CEO for eClinicalWorks, wrote in a post on U.S. News & World Report Health. "Wearable devices, mobility and analytics are shifting the way people move through the health system, and big data is at the center of it all."
Patients want flexibility in their health plans, according to Mr. Navani, and better patient portals, telehealth options, digital check ups and wearable tracking devices are key to offering more flexibility in a convenient way.
"Consider the amount of data that exists on a person's mobile device, fitness tracker or wearable device, and factor in their electronic health record," Mr. Navani wrote. "Integrating a patient's medical history with their day-to-day recordings — which they've actively chosen to invest in and monitor — has incredible potential for improving how doctors understand and treat each individualized patient."
The convergence of medicine and technology is already happening and leveraging big data and analytics has the potential to exponentially benefit healthcare, Mr. Navani wrote.
"Once doctors and providers start viewing their patients as consumers, patients will begin to expect a personalized medical experience that factors in all of their health information, much like many retailers already do today," he wrote.
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