In his post, S. Leffingwell identified quick and easy access to information for both patient and physician as the main advantage of big data in healthcare. This is undoubtedly the major advantage which will help both improve the efficiency of the work of medical providers and the level of patient care. An interesting example was also given of how a physician can predict based on data the trajectory of recovery and adjust treatment. However, the convenience and usefulness of big data come with a number of serious problems, as noted in the post.
A significant challenge is data security and storage to protect patients’ personal information. Cyberattacks are a serious concern not only for the healthcare system but for all areas of use of big data. However, at the moment, the development of technology has reached a certain stage, including the economic one (Tao et al., 2019). In this regard, the big data market has attracted not only cyber criminals but also companies creating data protection products.
However, both investment and technical specialists are needed to implement such programs. According to data, currently, there is a shortage of “190,000 or more workers with analytical expertise and 1.5 million more data-literate managers only in the United States” (Sarkar, 2017, p. 137). Thus, solving shadow problems and protecting against cyber attacks is impossible without a sufficient number of personnel.
To improve the security of patient data and to interact more effectively with technology, it is necessary to hire more staff of the appropriate profile. The right measure would also be not only to recruit new staff but also to train the medical and nursing personnel in the necessary technical skills. However, such a strategy is associated with increased costs, which require careful management. Thus, by paying more attention to human resources and their administration, the health care system can overcome the existing difficulties.
References
Sarkar, B. K. (2017). Big data for secure healthcare system: A conceptual design. Complex & Intelligent Systems, 3, 133-151. Web.
Tao, H., Bhuiyan, Z. A., Rahman, A., Wang, G., Wang, T., Ahmed. M., & Li, J. (2019). Economic perspective analysis of protecting big data security and privacy. Future Generation Computer Systems, 98, 660-671. Web.