Data analytics in the healthcare industry has made it easier to gather specific medical information.
The growing demands of data analytics in healthcare will have great impacts on the overall healthcare system and in the modern day treatments. This is in connection with what we are currently dealing with the pandemic.
There is no doubt that the continuous transformation in the healthcare industry these days has been significantly brought about by the current COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2020 research and markets report, in the midst of the current pandemic crisis, healthcare analytics has been estimated at US$17.4 billion. The report also shows an estimate of over US$84.3 billion growth by 2027 with a growth rate of 25% in between the succeeding years.
How is data analytics used in healthcare?
Data analytics in the healthcare industry has made it easier to gather specific medical information. All data are then turned into valuable insights to improve the industry’s patient care experience, as well as its operational procedures and processes. Healthcare analytics is also used for the following purposes:
Predictive analytics
This allows healthcare providers to foresee what will most likely happen and prevent certain events from happening. Predictive analytics can combine multiple data from different sources including a patient’s medical history. It can also help detect early signs of deterioration of patients in the ICU.
Predictive algorithms can be used while the patients’ vital signs are continuously monitored and analysed. This will help identify the patients with the highest chances of intervention in the next 60 minutes.
Patient engagement
A lot of people nowadays also use technological tools and gadgets that can track their heart rate, steps, sleep patterns, hydration levels, etc. Patients who make use of these devices can upload it to the cloud so their physicians can also monitor their current health state. This reduces the need for hospital visits and checkup.
Advantages of data analytics in healthcare
Data analytics in the healthcare industry helps in improving patient treatment, as well as the overall management system. Apart from that, healthcare analytics also has the following advantages:
Equipment maintenance
Data analytics can also be done by performing equipment diagnostics to measure the performance of a medical equipment. This helps detect and fix technical issues and prevent bigger repairs or system failures. This can also help determine which medical equipment should be replaced.
Reduces human error
Wrong medication or dosage resulting in wrong insurance claims are commonly from human errors that occur in the industry. Healthcare analytics can be used to analyze a patient’s data and medications to alert them of unusual records. This helps reduce human errors and prevent further health concerns.
Prevents overstaffing
Through predictive analytics, it can predict the admission rate of a medical facility and determine if there is enough staff to attend to patients. This prevents medical facilities from overstaffing. At the same time, it also allows them to save on costs.
