The Impact of Big Data in the Medical and Health Care Sector.

My doctor looks up everything! Behind every good doctor is... qualitative Big Data!

Whether a treatment proposal is effective or not is not something a single practitioner in a hospital can say on the basis of a small number of individual patients. This can of course be done on the basis of larger numbers of treated patients, as this measurement data enables a doctor to make a statement about the predictable effectiveness of a treatment in general after a longer period of time on the basis of results and common denominators.

Treatment plan, Big data collectors can detect recurring patterns in the results of all existing, new or experimental treatment methods collected and determine the optimal treatment for the individual patient. Recommendations regarding the drug, dose and possible length of a course of treatment are made according to the Big Data principle. Another example is Google's ability to detect an outbreak of flu thanks to big data analysis of typed search terms.

Big data is playing an exponentially growing role in our society. Individuals are storing more and more data in the form of music photos and film files, but computers and IoT devices are also collecting data. Very soon, we will start collecting data from various wearables, sensors that come in the form of a watch or other piece of smart electronics worn on the body. This data is a wealth of information for various purposes. In modern and predictive marketing or inventory management environments, it is now difficult to do without. The more data that is available, the better organisations are able to compare and relate data subjects.

The arrival of new Internet of Things applications is turning core and edge workloads into a synergy of cause and effect. Artificial Intelligence processes such as Cognitive Tools, Machine Learning, Stream Analytics and Data Analytics can transform hybrid or "on premises" data into practical and effective advice.

Locking EPDs or lock-ins that prevent data from being shared are obviously not going to help. Of course, everyone agrees that the exchange of information within and between healthcare institutions can and must improve, but there is still an ongoing search for effective and above all secure infrastructures. Technically it is possible! Next generation data management systems unlock data from different storage protocols using restful API technology.

Sector organisations, to the extent that this is possible in the Healthcare sector, are pleading for standardisation of information exchange, content, terminology and technology. It seems to us that the time has come for an independent advisory committee made up of officials from both within and outside the healthcare sector. A fresh view from outside sometimes works wonders.

Whether you like it or not, healthcare is going to change fundamentally as we make the transition to a data-driven society. Big data is here to stay.