Data is indeed everywhere today, and we are expected to get a glut of data more with the coming development in technologies like the Internet of things. So far, we, in our everyday lives, are familiar with data collected by our cellphones and computers. However, in the medical field even more data is collected by different devices every time a patient goes for a test, his biometric data, data from health records, pharmaceutical research, public records, EHR and so on (Durcevic, 2020). The collection and analysis of this big data is a complex task and the data needs to be stored with care.
However, this big data can be utilized in innumerous ways from finding new cures to aiding R.D. to streamlining operations to reducing the price in healthcare administration (Glassman, 2017). For instance, big data can improve patient care through operational efficiency. Hospitals can use big data to figure out when patients are more likely to be admitted to hospitals or when the hospitals will be very busy (Glassman, 2017). This information will help them plan their near-term future and decide when they should call the staff and when they can afford to let them leave (Glassman, 2017). Similarly, big data can also help manage information related to hospital facilities, which can thus be used for cost reduction. The savings can then be reinvested back in the healthcare facility for improved care. Moreover, big data can help providers provide more individualized care by helping them respond to conditions more accurately. This reduces errors (Glassman, 2017).
However, there are many challenges and risks also associated with the advent of informatics based on big data. The most obvious risk is the privacy concerns associated with sharing all kinds of information related to patients and staff members (Rn, 2016). Closely connected to the issue of privacy is the issue of security (Rn, 2016). There is a good chance that patient information can be hacked in and stolen if it is not protected properly.
Given the obvious and numerous benefits of big data, it is likely that organizations are not going to desire to get rid of its potential in their workplace. Rather, they will have to find a way around arresting its main sources of concern. For instance, the providers can invest in the security of patient data and be paranoid about implementing it daily. Moreover, all employees who handle big data need to be trained extensively in using it the right way so that they do not misuse it or leak it by mistake.
