Healthcare Data: Statistics and Applications
The vastness of available health information made it impossible to analyze using traditional tools. That is why we utilize AI and other analytic tools to analyze big data in healthcare and reap numerous benefits for patients and care providers.
This is aligned with the growing amounts of data globally: global data increased by 5000% from 2010 to 2020. 30% of this data comes directly from the healthcare industry, meaning there is an ocean of health data we can use to benefit society. Growing amounts of data equal increasing costs: U.S. healthcare spending in 2021 was $4.3 trillion. However, this number is expected to grow to $15 trillion in 2030, demonstrating just how much we’ll be spending on healthcare in the future.
Healthcare Data Sources
In the healthcare industry, there are numerous sources of data. From printed documents containing personally identifiable information (names, addresses, social security numbers) to protected health information (health conditions, medication, treatment, patient and family histories) stored in EHRs, this information is a valuable resource that can be used in several ways.
This information is mainly fragmented: stored in various EHR systems, disconnected clinics, and different care providers that may need help to store and share this information efficiently. But the sources of data in healthcare may surprise you: 90% of this information comes from our daily lives, while only 10% comes from medical institutions such as hospitals.
Wearables and remote patient monitoring technologies allow patients to collect and store data on their devices. They can then connect them to EHRs and share their information with clinicians. For example, 53% of fitness tracker users are willing to share their data with their care provider.
Benefits of Big Data in Healthcare
As we mentioned, numerous healthcare benefits are associated with data-tracking and sharing. Utilizing data analytics helps us with disease diagnostics, reduction of medical errors, and cybersecurity, among other things. Security is an essential issue in the healthcare industry: there were 712 data breaches in 2021, which is a 10% increase from the previous year.
Some of the areas in which data sets in healthcare are used are:
Disease diagnostics
Reduction of medical errors
Cybersecurity
Population health management
Health tracking
Reducing hospital readmission
Patient engagement
Supply chain management
Chronic care
Vicert and Human API
Vicert leverages decades of experience in the healthcare industry to design and develop specific digital solutions. Our portfolio is filled with products and services that help care providers and patients improve their care delivery and overall health. We’ve developed tools for healthcare data management and collection, such as remote patient monitoring, fitness tracking app, and API integration.
We’ve partnered with Human API to help them with their mission of offering a health data platform that the users have complete control of. Together, we work on some of the most complex integrations in the industry.
We’ve developed products and solutions to offer users the ability to design their custom health app according to their precise needs. Additionally, we rely on healthcare data to gather insights, and we recognize the importance of properly storing and sharing this information. We also focus on solving interoperability challenges by enabling users to view and share their data. One thing worth noting: health consumers of Human API can use their goods and services free of charge!
