Literature Review
Big data has become a buzzword overnight. With the improvement of technology and electronic devices, we are able to deal with tons of information and data more than we used to be able to. Big data technology is really in its golden age as its multi-function in a broad variety of industries such as finance, business transaction, education, an also, the healthcare industry (Andrew Brust, Big Data’s Ground Floor Consulting Opportunity). To examine the current debate over the big data and healthcare and the technology’s potential helpfulness to people with disabilities, I collect the sources from consulting firm’s reports, personal blog posts of managers who work in the consulting and IT industries, as well as the news reports. From these articles, I found out two consensuses on the benefit of big data to healthcare: reducing healthcare budget and improving the physician’s decision making process. However, there is also a prevailing concern of the privacy issue arise with the adoption of big data.
Big data could bring us huge financial profit. According to McKinsey & Company’s report, the healthcare cost currently consists 17.6 percent of the overall US GDP. And the big data technology could help the government to reduce the annual budget by $450 billion. (McKinsey & Company, The big-data revolution in US health care: Accelerating value and innovation). It is because with the Collection of the data from millions of patients over long periods, it will be much easier for the doctors and physicians to choose the most effective way of diagnosis. (Ifan Khan, Why big data breathes new life into health care). And with the establishment of the electronic records of the patients, specialist will know clearly what tests their patients have already taken and are not going to order duplicate tests (US NEWS, U.S. Hospitals Triple Use of Electronic Health Records: Report).
Besides the financial benefit, big data technology could also benefits the physicians during their decision making process (Rafal Szymczak, Merge Big Data for Disability Protection). Based on SAS’s definition of big data, “More data may lead to more accurate analyses. More accurate analyses may lead to more confident decision making (SAS, What is big data).” And with the help of big data technology and electronic records, physicians are able to move towards to evidence-based medicine instead of making decisions based on their personal judgments (McKinsey & Company). Perhaps a doctor from rural area has never met patients with specific symptoms before. Under the help of big data, he could make a reference from the patients with similar symptoms happened in the past and thus help him to make evidence-based medical decision.
However, any great invention has its flaws, so does big data. Apart from the huge benefit big data could bring us, some experts cite their concerns about the technology: it interferes with the individual privacy (Dan Bowman). Though the office of civil rights enforces HIPPA privacy rule earlier to protect individual’s medical privacy (HHS.gov), “big data seems to make your privacy a thing of the past (John Naughton).” Nonetheless, some argued that the most important thing is not whether it interferes with the ethical problems, but whether it is worthy to do so if big data could bring us huge benefit. What we need to do is get to know people’s comfort zone and find a right balance (Matt Walken).
From all these newly published resources, we could see that big data in healthcare industry is really the most updated issue and does have a promise future. For my future research, I will try to further examining the possible pros and cons of the technology. For instance, based on big data, could we prevent the disease before it occurs by identifying those at high risk of the disease? What will happen if we rely too much on big data and data tell something wrong? And I will also try to find big data’s potential benefit to people with disabilities. For example, for people with disabilities, conventional analysis may not work since they are kind of “abnormal”. With the specific database and electronic records constructed by big data, the overall quality of care received by people with disabilities must be improved.
Works Cited
Brust, Andrew. "Big Data's Ground Floor Consulting Opportunity." ZDNet. N.p., 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
Knott, David, Basel Kayyali, and Steve Van Kuiken. "Insights & Publications." The Big-data Revolution in US Health Care: Accelerating Value and Innovation. McKinsey & Company, Apr. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Khan, Irfan. "Why Big Data Breathes New Life into Health Care." Diginomica. N.p., 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Szymczak, Rafal. "News Challenge - How Can We Harness Data and Information for the Health of Communities? - Merge Big Data for Disability Protection." News Challenge. N.p., 31 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Bowman, Dan. "Big Data Privacy Concerns Linger despite Potential for Healthcare."FierceHealthIT. N.p., 31 May 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
"What Is Big Data?" SAS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Naughton, John. "Why Big Data Has Made Your Privacy a Thing of the past." The Guardian. N.p., 5 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
"Health Information Privacy." Health Information Privacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Walken, Matt. "The Ethics of Big Data and Privacy." - Direct2Dell. N.p., 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Big data could bring us huge financial profit. According to McKinsey & Company’s report, the healthcare cost currently consists 17.6 percent of the overall US GDP. And the big data technology could help the government to reduce the annual budget by $450 billion. (McKinsey & Company, The big-data revolution in US health care: Accelerating value and innovation). It is because with the Collection of the data from millions of patients over long periods, it will be much easier for the doctors and physicians to choose the most effective way of diagnosis. (Ifan Khan, Why big data breathes new life into health care). And with the establishment of the electronic records of the patients, specialist will know clearly what tests their patients have already taken and are not going to order duplicate tests (US NEWS, U.S. Hospitals Triple Use of Electronic Health Records: Report).
Besides the financial benefit, big data technology could also benefits the physicians during their decision making process (Rafal Szymczak, Merge Big Data for Disability Protection). Based on SAS’s definition of big data, “More data may lead to more accurate analyses. More accurate analyses may lead to more confident decision making (SAS, What is big data).” And with the help of big data technology and electronic records, physicians are able to move towards to evidence-based medicine instead of making decisions based on their personal judgments (McKinsey & Company). Perhaps a doctor from rural area has never met patients with specific symptoms before. Under the help of big data, he could make a reference from the patients with similar symptoms happened in the past and thus help him to make evidence-based medical decision.
However, any great invention has its flaws, so does big data. Apart from the huge benefit big data could bring us, some experts cite their concerns about the technology: it interferes with the individual privacy (Dan Bowman). Though the office of civil rights enforces HIPPA privacy rule earlier to protect individual’s medical privacy (HHS.gov), “big data seems to make your privacy a thing of the past (John Naughton).” Nonetheless, some argued that the most important thing is not whether it interferes with the ethical problems, but whether it is worthy to do so if big data could bring us huge benefit. What we need to do is get to know people’s comfort zone and find a right balance (Matt Walken).
From all these newly published resources, we could see that big data in healthcare industry is really the most updated issue and does have a promise future. For my future research, I will try to further examining the possible pros and cons of the technology. For instance, based on big data, could we prevent the disease before it occurs by identifying those at high risk of the disease? What will happen if we rely too much on big data and data tell something wrong? And I will also try to find big data’s potential benefit to people with disabilities. For example, for people with disabilities, conventional analysis may not work since they are kind of “abnormal”. With the specific database and electronic records constructed by big data, the overall quality of care received by people with disabilities must be improved.
Works Cited
Brust, Andrew. "Big Data's Ground Floor Consulting Opportunity." ZDNet. N.p., 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
Knott, David, Basel Kayyali, and Steve Van Kuiken. "Insights & Publications." The Big-data Revolution in US Health Care: Accelerating Value and Innovation. McKinsey & Company, Apr. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Khan, Irfan. "Why Big Data Breathes New Life into Health Care." Diginomica. N.p., 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Szymczak, Rafal. "News Challenge - How Can We Harness Data and Information for the Health of Communities? - Merge Big Data for Disability Protection." News Challenge. N.p., 31 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Bowman, Dan. "Big Data Privacy Concerns Linger despite Potential for Healthcare."FierceHealthIT. N.p., 31 May 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
"What Is Big Data?" SAS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Naughton, John. "Why Big Data Has Made Your Privacy a Thing of the past." The Guardian. N.p., 5 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
"Health Information Privacy." Health Information Privacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Walken, Matt. "The Ethics of Big Data and Privacy." - Direct2Dell. N.p., 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.