Week 5 Discussion Post Colleague Response #2

Big Data Risks and Rewards

One of the potential benefits of big data entails identifying trends and patterns that can be used to develop a robust clinical system. Patient data shows drug responses and treatment adherence under various clinical circumstances. Researchers can analyze patient medical records and history to create a personalized medicine that improves patient care and health outcomes. Big data uncover hidden information that cannot be achieved using traditional data analysis methods. The data are converted into knowledge for decision-making (Pastorino et al., 2019). It uses advanced methods such as EHRs to depict health patterns for large patient populations.

However, big data adversely affect people’s privacy and confidentiality within clinical settings. With the emergence of sophisticated technology for analyzing big data, private patient health information are passed through various healthcare systems, contributing to the theft of personal information. Technology is prone to misuse, breaches, and unauthorized access by unscrupulous people who compromise patient confidentiality. Healthcare organizations face the challenge of handling, sharing, or keeping data safe (Dash et al., 2019). The sensitive patient data can be accessed by individuals beyond the healthcare system, leading to long-term discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudices. The data analysis tools may create security issues for patients with worse health outcomes.
 Adhering to privacy regulations is an effective strategy to mitigate privacy and personal issues in the clinical system. Hospitals must adhere to laws and regulations developed under the HIPAA to secure patients' private information. Robust security measures such as regular audits, data encryption, and access controls must be implemented. Mobile health applications should use end-to-end security and privacy protection (Li et al., 2019). These strategies boost patient data monitoring and minimize the risk of access by third parties. Besides, informatics and data analysts should receive advanced training on how to improve data security.
 
 
 
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.

Li, B., Li, J., Jiang, Y., & Lan, X. (2019). Experience and reflection from China’s Xiangya medical big data project. Journal of biomedical informatics, 93, 103149.

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.