Bioinformatics: Using “Big” Data to Solve Health Mysteries

Abstract

Health data—information from sources like medical records, surveys, and even electronic devices like smartwatches—are becoming increasingly important for keeping people healthy. Computers and the internet make it easy to store and share health data. Scientists and researchers can use these data to understand and prevent diseases or to develop better treatments. To do so, they combine biology, computer science, and math to understand data and find patterns. But using health data is not easy. Scientists must first find the right information among the many data sources available. They also need to make sure the data are “clean” and correct. Once health data are collected and checked, scientists analyze those data to make important discoveries. Health data are both personal and valuable, so they must be kept safe and private. By protecting people’s privacy, we encourage even more data sharing, which helps scientists learn even more and continue to improve human health.