gms | German Medical Science

Big data and new technological innovations have the potential to address health inequalities and improve health outcomes for patients. These new tools and methods are able to provide a stronger evidence base for more efficient, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable healthcare delivery. Their potential lies in the additional provision of relevant and timely data to individually produced patient and hospital records. For example, in the U.S. the analysis of streaming patient data has reduced mortality by 20 percent.

Mobile data analysis: In response to the Ebola virus disease epidemic call data records (CDRs) from mobile network operators have been used to map people’s mobility and project the path of the disease. CDRs were a powerful proxy to identify risks, design information campaigns, and show impact of actions.

Patient monitoring through self-tracking via sensors, gadgets, and apps: In 2015, there were more than 100,000 health apps available for smart phones. In the U.S., 34% of all Americans who tracked their health habits stated that self-tracking has affected a health decision they have taken.

Nonetheless, the ability to combine multiple sources of data is essential to effectively harness big data in health care. Likewise, the ever-expanding volume of data with complex patterns may extend beyond the physician’s ability to use traditional data processing techniques for interpretation. A data revolution for improved health outcomes will require setting the right incentives to support coordination between different stakeholders within health care systems. Harnessing this potential will also require new partnerships to link data producers with data users and data analysts. Ultimately, recognizing the value of big data and the will to act on its insights demands a fundamental shift in mindset.