NURS 6051C: Big Data Risks and Rewards Discussion Essay
NURS 6051C: Big Data Risks and Rewards Discussion Essay
NURS 6051C: Big Data Risks and Rewards Discussion Essay
Big Data Risks and Rewards
Big data in healthcare denote the massive volumes of information emanating from the adoption of digital technologies which collect patients’ records and assist in managing hospital performance. The digitization of most of the processes in healthcare has created big data which provides benefits but also presents inherent risks for providers, organizations, and even the healthcare system. A core benefit of big data analytics in healthcare is detecting patterns based on patient condition and turning the high data volumes into actionable knowledge that allows providers to practice precision medicine and make effective decisions. The discovery of patterns entails much more than simple retrieval of data to answer the end user’s questions or concerns (Dash et al., 2019). Using data mining tools, the systems can scan databases to identify previous concealed patterns. As such, predictive, proactive information comes from data mining analytics and helps organizations develop business intelligence, especially related to improving care. As such, the discovery of patterns implies that providers can utilize big data to enhance care continuity, right from the time a patient checks into the facility to the moment that they are discharged.
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Despite these benefits, the use of big data in healthcare also presents risks and challenges. A critical risk associated with big data usage in healthcare is the issue of privacy and protection of patient health information, especially in compliance with the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Again, the amount of sources from which health professionals can get insights from their patients keeps growing and the data comes in different formats and sizes (McGonigle et al., 2019). The risk inherent to these patterns means that health professionals may disclose this data and violate HIPAA privacy requirements.
Mitigating the risks and challenges associated with the use of big data is critical for professionals and healthcare organizations concerning meeting HIPAA requirements. Some of the strategies that effectively mitigate the risks and challenges associated with big data include having a robust and reliable backup system, especially to manage unplanned outages and disruptions, and having planned down tome as well as system upgrades (Pastorino et al., 2019). For instance, having backup data storage in the cloud makes accessibility and easy retrieval of data.
References
Dash, S., Shakyawar, S. K., Sharma, M., & Kaushik, S. (2019). Big data in healthcare:
management, analysis, and future prospects. Journal of Big Data, 6(1), 1-25.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40537-019-0217-0
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2019). Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of knowledge
(5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Pastorino, R., De Vito, C., Migliara, G., Glocker, K., Binenbaum, I., Ricciardi, W., & Boccia, S.
(2019). Benefits and challenges of Big Data in healthcare: an overview of the European initiatives. European Journal of public health, 29(Supplement_3), 23-27. DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckz168
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When you wake in the morning, you may reach for your cell phone to reply to a few text or email messages that you missed overnight. On your drive to work, you may stop to refuel your car. Upon your arrival, you might swipe a key card at the door to gain entrance to the facility. And before finally reaching your workstation, you may stop by the cafeteria to purchase a coffee.
From the moment you wake, you are in fact a data-generation machine. Each use of your phone, every transaction you make using a debit or credit card, even your entrance to your place of work, creates data. It begs the question: How much data do you generate each day? Many studies have been conducted on this, and the numbers are staggering: Estimates suggest that nearly 1 million bytes of data are generated every second for every person on earth.
As the volume of data increases, information professionals have looked for ways to use big data—large, complex sets of data that require specialized approaches to use effectively. Big data has the potential for significant rewards—and significant risks—to healthcare. In this Discussion, you will consider these risks and rewards.
To Prepare:
Review the Resources and reflect on the web article Big Data Means Big Potential, Challenges for Nurse Execs.
Reflect on your own experience with complex health information access and management and consider potential challenges and risks you may have experienced or observed.
Post a description of at least one potential benefit of using big data as part of a clinical system and explain why. Then, describe at least one potential challenge or risk of using big data as part of a clinical system and explain why. Propose at least one strategy you have experienced, observed, or researched that may effectively mitigate the challenges or risks of using big data you described. Be specific and provide examples.
