Benefits of Big Data Analytics for Healthcare Organizations

Topic: Health Tech
Words: 569 Pages: 2

Summary

Information technology has enabled healthcare organizations to generate data essential for improving operations and customer service delivery. However, poor information management has made it difficult for organizations to analyze the data obtained in the healthcare sector and draw meaningful conclusions. The inability to understand large proportions of data generated by digital platforms has contributed to poor service delivery and the high cost of operations for healthcare facilities and patients (Wang et al., 2018). Various technologies have been developed to analyze and accurately interpret large volumes of data using big data analytics systems to manage information effectively. Big data analytics consists of several techniques to analyze large proportions of data through applications that include descriptive analytics and mining analytics.

The history of big data analytics can be traced back to when data science was developed to analyze market data for businesses to make favorable decisions and understand market trends. In 2009, pioneering industries of big data analytics, such as banks, started applying big analytics to improve businesses and understand consumer behavior (Wang et al., 2018). Since then, big data analytics have become a vital tool for interpreting data generated in various industries. Healthcare organizations have been turning to computer scientists with experience in big data analytics to interpret healthcare data for effective decision-making.

There are various potential benefits that big data analytics presents to healthcare organizations, including infrastructure benefits, operational benefits, organizational benefits, managerial benefits, and strategic benefits. Firstly, infrastructure benefits involve better use of healthcare systems by increasing the storage capacity of the organization systems, thus reducing the IT maintenance costs. Secondly, operational benefits include improving the accuracy of the data analyzed for better clinical decisions. Additionally, the duration of conducting essential operations such as surgeries and diagnostic tests is significantly reduced (Wang et al., 2018). Thirdly, organizational benefits involve improving collaboration within the workforce by facilitating the flow of communication from the management to the ordinary staff. Fourthly, the managerial benefits consist of providing the management with accurate information about healthcare trends essential in making better decisions. Lastly, strategic benefits involve improving the healthcare sector by making services competitive.

The Vision of Information Systems in Organizations

Competition is becoming stiff among organizations in different sectors, thus influencing significantly how organizations operate. Technology has become a vital element that many organizations adapt to stay competitive. One of the areas in which technology has proved vital for organizations is managing information and interpreting data (Wang et al., 2018). Organizations are therefore beginning to rely on information systems for effective management. Some of the emerging trends in information systems that play a significant role in the management of organizations include data security. Organizations often deal with various sensitive data that require stronger security to prevent sensitive data from landing in unauthorized hands. Cost-effective data security technologies are being developed to enable organizations to secure their data at an affordable cost.

Automation and artificial intelligence has proved to a vital element in the effective management of information in organizations. This technology reduces the manual handling of data, thus limiting the inconveniences caused by human error (Wang et al., 2018). Artificial intelligence has been effective for accurate data analysis through machine learning. Many trends emerge in various industries that require organizations to have the right information to make effective decisions. Organizations that have successfully adopted information systems have proved to perform better than those that rely on traditional methods of analyzing data.

References

Wang, Y., Kung, L., & Byrd, T. A. (2018). Big data analytics: Understanding its capabilities and potential benefits for healthcare organizations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 126, 3-13.