Big Data in Health Care

Abstract

Background: The widespread adoption of the electronic health record (EHR) has resulted in vast repositories of EHR big data that are being used to identify patterns and correlations that translate into data-informed health care decision making. Problem: Health care professionals need the skills necessary to navigate a digitized, data-rich health care environment as big data plays an increasingly integral role in health care. Approach: Faculty incorporated the concept of big data in an asynchronous online course allowing an interprofessional mix of students to analyze EHR big data on over a million patients. Outcomes: Students conducted a descriptive analysis of cohorts of patients with selected diagnoses and presented their findings. Conclusions: Students collaborated with an interprofessional team to analyze EHR big data on selected variables. The teams used data visualization tools to describe an assigned diagnosis patient population.