The Rise of Data Analytics in Healthcare
Data analytics are getting increasingly more important as the healthcare industry is moving towards a more value-based care mission. In a recent article, experts pose the question, how will analytic tools evolve and what’s next? To answer this question, they weigh in on major industry shifts.
Using longitudinal records as a base:
While there is ample data within the healthcare industry, many healthcare organizations are not utilizing the data to its fullest potential, but are looking at the data in a single vertical view. These organizations need to start implementing analytics technology to gain a more complete view of the patient experience.
Garri Garrison, RN, vice president of performance management at 3M Health Information Systems explains that, “these analytics tools exist today, but their success depends on the creation of the longitudinal record. This is the next step in the evolution of analytics technology. To take advantage of new analytic tools, healthcare organizations must have access to patient-centric records that encompass the full spectrum of clinical care.”
She also adds that, “With advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, we’ll see a transition from descriptive analytics to predictive analytics. Integrating machine learning or AI with risk stratification methodologies will create a new set of analytic tools that support real-time interventions in care delivery.”
Healthcare is closing in on a complete 360-degree patient view:
Providers in the healthcare industry are closing in on getting a complete 360-degree view of a patient. Brandon Purcell, who is a senior analyst at Forrester Research explains AI and analytical models are “only as good as the data used to teach them” he goes on to explain that completeness and quality of data will be the “key to differentiation for healthcare providers.”
Investing in this foundational data will enable these organizations to provide “Proactive care, personalize services, and reduce operational costs.”
New technologies are making data better
Jennifer Esposito, who is the worldwide general manager for health and life science at Intel, explains that “We are starting to see convergence in High Performance Compute, or HPC, and AI workloads, as data sets get larger and more complex, the lines between scientific computing and analytics are blurring.”
Esposito also points out that there is a move in the healthcare industry to deliver care outside the hospital, and this trend is being seen worldwide, so organizations need to plan for new analytic strategies because there are new services being offered and how patients engage with providers is changing.
An example might include a virtual reality rehabilitation session in the patients home.
So, what are the key takeaways?
Analytical technology products are making the shift from providing descriptive results to a more predictive result. As new technology emerges, data can be linked with hundreds of sources, such as billing, claims, EHR, and so much more. Investing in said technology is expensive but the opportunities analytics provide are invaluable to the healthcare industry.
How can Extract Systems help?
At Extract, we pride ourselves on being able to work with whatever document management system or EHR you’re using. When we retrieve data from unstructured files, we can use HL7, xml, or any other type of format you may need, and we’ve successfully integrated with every DMS that our clients have put in front of us. Our data capture technology for unstructured documents allows data sent to healthcare systems to be automatically entered into an EHR, saving clinicians time and improving the customer experience.
