By 2028, the consumer healthcare market size will be worth over $665 billion. Considering that healthcare is a necessity, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.
An explosive industry usually means an abundance of data is available as well, and healthcare is no exception. Not only is this information used to help patients, but also to evolve and protect the industry as well.
In this article, we’ll show you the 4 major types of healthcare data that are used today.
1. Research and Clinical Trials
One of the most obvious types of healthcare data is in research and trials. This is a primary data source that allows healthcare professionals to discover new treatments, as well as novel ways to diagnose diseases.
By learning from the data gathered from years of research and trials, organizations can implement better preventative measures. It’s as they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
2. Electronic Health Records
Electronic health records (EHRs) are a goldmine when it comes to healthcare data. Essentially, it’s a digital form of patient charts. As you might imagine, these records contain things like medical history (including previous diagnoses if applicable), treatment plans, medications, lab results, radiology images, immunization records, and more.
The digitization of patient charts opens multiple doors of opportunity. These records can be easily shared between healthcare facilities to make things more efficient and prevent record loss. In addition, the data in these (anonymized) records can provide a better overall picture of people’s general health, conditions, vaccination rates, etc. in certain demographics.
Healthcare data analytics in this area can aid in predicting public health trends. They can even help predict future occurrences of pandemics and other serious illnesses.
3. Fraud Prevention
Unfortunately, insurance and claims fraud happen in the healthcare industry. Data science in healthcare can analyze payment records en masses and through machine learning, programs can recognize fraud. Not only that, but it can also prevent it from happening in the first place!
For example, there are programs for provider payments that not only facilitate easier bill payments for patients, but also ensure all transactions are complete and legitimate.
4. Cybersecurity
While hackers target corporations, they also infiltrate healthcare facilities often as well. After all, it’s a huge industry that’s ripe for the taking.
Data security in healthcare is an important area that needs to be tackled. The data generated in this industry can help identify weak points in network security so they can be plugged up, making it harder for cybercriminals to get through.
Know the Types of Healthcare Data Available
Healthcare data may not seem like the most interesting or exciting thing. But the reality is, this information is key to providing better care for patients in the future. By understanding big data in healthcare, we pave the road for better health and quality of life.
To learn more about information technology in various industries, browse the rest of our blog now.