By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    data-driven white label SEO
    Does Data Mining Really Help with White Label SEO?
    7 Min Read
    marketing analytics for hardware vendors
    IT Hardware Startups Turn to Data Analytics for Market Research
    9 Min Read
    big data and digital signage
    The Power of Big Data and Analytics in Digital Signage
    5 Min Read
    data analytics investing
    Data Analytics Boosts ROI of Investment Trusts
    9 Min Read
    football data collection and analytics
    Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!
    4 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Is Big Data Causing a Big Brother System in Healthcare?
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Aa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Analytics > Predictive Analytics > Is Big Data Causing a Big Brother System in Healthcare?
AnalyticsPredictive Analytics

Is Big Data Causing a Big Brother System in Healthcare?

Brett Stupakevich
Last updated: 2012/05/15 at 12:55 PM
Brett Stupakevich
6 Min Read
SHARE

big brother 150x150 photo (predictive analytics data analytics big data advanced analytics )As we approach the landmark Supreme Court decision next month of whether Obamacare’s individual mandate for h

big brother 150x150 photo (predictive analytics data analytics big data advanced analytics )As we approach the landmark Supreme Court decision next month of whether Obamacare’s individual mandate for health insurance is constitutional or not, we’re seeing a move from health insurance companies, hospitals and pharmacy plan providers to cut costs with data analytics.

But there’s a looming question in all of this – is big data causing a big brother system in healthcare? Let’s explore.

What’s with All the Data?

More Read

data-driven white label SEO

Does Data Mining Really Help with White Label SEO?

IT Hardware Startups Turn to Data Analytics for Market Research
The Power of Big Data and Analytics in Digital Signage
Data Analytics Boosts ROI of Investment Trusts
Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!

Healthcare companies including insurers, hospitals and pharmacy plan providers have access to loads of data on their customers and patients, and they’re now leveraging that data to lower costs and project the future health of those individuals.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Several insurers including UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc. are seeking to pinpoint who will develop conditions such as diabetes.”

In addition to using predictive analytics to see who may be a riskier patient, these companies are looking at data such as which patients go to the hospital most often and which of these patients will be readmitted, according to the report. With this information, the insurers and other healthcare companies plan to “adjust care” to “prevent such return visits.”

Does it sound a little like big brother? You decide. Let’s look at for/against arguments of this practice.

Are You Taking Your Medication?

This is a common question from your physician and now from insurers and pharmacy benefits management companies including United Healthcare, WellPoint, Express Scripts and CVS Caremark as well, reports the WSJ. The rationale is that if you don’t take your medication, they’ll intervene to “improve care and prevent further expensive health problems.”

While it does sound a bit like big brother, the predictive analytics and interventions companies like Express Scripts are implementing can help patients a great deal. Dr. Bob Nease, the chief scientist behind the program at Express Scripts, says they can predict noncompliance in about 90% of cases.

Typically, noncompliance falls into two categories – patients who forget and those who aren’t sure how to take their medications. These patients receive “tailored interventions” including calls from their pharmacists on setting up services such as auto-refill. Or if they can’t remember to take their pills, they receive timers on their medicine bottles that beep at the appropriate times.

Nease tells the WSJ that these steps increased compliance about 16% in the control group.

Watson’s Role in Predictive Analytics

We all know that Watson, the IBM supercomputer that beat humans in Jeopardy, has gone to medical school. His medical education and analytics abilities allow him to “suggest treatment options to doctors, based on medical records, research databases and other sources,” reports the WSJ.

The advantage: Machines can help doctors keep up with the latest research to treat conditions and diseases.

The Human Element

WellPoint, the company behind the Watson project, also relies on the human element to help patients with chronic conditions. Nurses and case managers are using data from patient records and claims to determine whether patients are “following doctor’s orders.”

Could this be the next frontier in data analytics – giving the clinical team access to advanced analytics tools to speed the research process on chronic patients and speed preventive care, which is much more cost-effective than pharmaceutical and surgical interventions?

Risky Business

According to recent research, it seems more patients are racing to make more reservations for hospital visits in the next year. We doubt it’s the exciting food and luxurious accommodations that are drawing them there. The reality is that more patients are seeking care and the costs to everyone involved (insurers, hospitals and patients) are skyrocketing.

The super hero who will solve this escalating problem? Predictive analytics. This mission is so critical to some healthcare providers such as Heritage Provider Network, a California-based physician group, that there’s a $3 million prize being offered for the algorithm that best predicts which patients will go to the hospital in the next year.

Service Allocations

Health Management Associates (HMA), a 71-hospital network spanning much of the Southeast and a few other states, is also in the hunt for patient admissions analytics. However, this company wants to predict which services patients will demand in the future such as ER and lab. The firm’s interest is in ensuring adequate staffing.

Eric Waller, chief marketing and strategy officer for HMA, says that the industry can benefit from predictive analytics. He says, “We’re being incentivized as an industry to improve clinical care and increase satisfaction and improve margins with lower reimbursements. It’s driving people to be much more interested in the use of analytics.”

Wrapping Up

Big data is touching every aspect of our lives. And while data analytics in healthcare could seem a bit like big brother, the intentions are better treatment, lower costs and more prevention.

Next Steps: See how Spotfire version 4.5 empowers users to discover actionable insights hidden in big data and unstructured information in our upcoming webcast, “What’s New with Spotfire 4.5,” taking place Thursday, May 31 at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Amanda Brandon
Spotfire Blogging Team

Brett Stupakevich May 15, 2012 May 15, 2012
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

RN coders for hosptial data
RN Coders Can Improve Hospital Data Strategies
Big Data
cloud technology in education
How Cloud Technology Can Be Integrating in Schools
IT
big data and IP laws
Big Data & AI In Collision Course With IP Laws – A Complete Guide
Big Data
ai in marketing
4 Ways AI Can Enhance Your Marketing Strategies
Marketing

Stay Connected

1.2k Followers Like
33.7k Followers Follow
222 Followers Pin

You Might also Like

data-driven white label SEO
Analytics

Does Data Mining Really Help with White Label SEO?

7 Min Read
marketing analytics for hardware vendors
Analytics

IT Hardware Startups Turn to Data Analytics for Market Research

9 Min Read
big data and digital signage
Analytics

The Power of Big Data and Analytics in Digital Signage

5 Min Read
data analytics investing
Analytics

Data Analytics Boosts ROI of Investment Trusts

9 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

AI and chatbots
Chatbots and SEO: How Can Chatbots Improve Your SEO Ranking?
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Exclusive
giveaway chatbots
How To Get An Award Winning Giveaway Bot
Big Data Chatbots Exclusive

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?