Big data means big things for healthcare and hospitals.  We’ve already written about how big data and simulation modeling can help identify and implement improvements in high traffic institutional areas.  But there are many other ways that healthcare is looking to big data to make huge improvements in facility overhead costs, patient care and satisfaction, research and more.  Here are just a few:

Smart device integration.  In a report issued by KLAS Enterprises and cited by U.S. News and World Report, more than half of the responding healthcare providers believe that integrating information directly from devices such as intravenous infusion pumps into electronic medical records is a key goal; 54 healthcare organizations are under contract to complete this project.  These efforts are progressing slowly, but the interoperability of medical devices with electronic records is inevitable and will create a new stream of available data.

Biomedical research.  One of the most exciting developments is how big data is being used to develop predictive models in biomedical research.  Big data enables research to take a macroscopic look at disease patterns and, consequently, to develop novel therapeutics.  According to the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, each person has approximately six billon base pairs (DNA building blocks) in the genome, 20,300 protein-coding genes, thousands of RNA molecules and at least 2,900 metabolites.  Only a platform that can extrapolate big data can effectively examine how specific information can be used to develop personalized medicine.

Patient care.  According to Michael Blaszyk, CFO of Dignity Health, hospitals will continue to develop new ways to use data mining and analytics to guide patient care.  As a result, clinical information systems will need to evolve to accommodate real time data collection and usage.

Smart beds.  Imagine if healthcare providers could access a continuous stream of vital statistics on their patients via smartphones or mobile devices: blood pressure readings, temperature and more.  That’s the concept behind a number of “smart beds” entering the marketplace – Decatur, Alabama – based Decatur Morgan Hospital just installed five of them in its newborn intensive care unit.  Not only do the beds give caregivers an accurate picture of patient health 24×7, but eventually, enough data will be collected over time to be able to analyze NICU trends, its environment and the impact on patients, etc.  Smart beds could also provide valuable data in the study of sleep apnea.

by Richard Paxton