Integration of BI in Healthcare

Abstract

In the digital age, the healthcare industry is generating a huge amount of data and information. Although there are structured data such as EHRs, the major data type is unstructured data such as clinical text. The sources of health data are also diversified, including medical data, clinical data, patient-generated data, and social media data. Different methods are applied to analyze the variety of data and obtain health information. When the various types of information are generated, information retrieval and extraction techniques can be used for further decision-making. Data and information-enabled decision-making is a complex process. Many tools and methods are developed to support decision-making in healthcare. Along with the benefits of integrating business intelligence in healthcare, issues and challenges exist. This chapter discusses the health data and information and how they support decision-making in healthcare.