The President’s approach to healthcare reform may be a controversial one, but there is no denying the rapid evolution taking place in this sector. While the industry has literally been sitting on mountains of information for years, the ability to maximize its potential in practical fashion is one of the more recent discoveries of modern software technology. From optimizing the delivery of healthcare services to unlocking new data sources, the following trends highlight how organizations can capitalize on the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls of big data healthcare.

1. Easily Accessible Data on the Floor

Hospitals, clinics, and specialized medical centers all share the common goal of delivering better patient care. It’s something that can always be improved. The best way to accomplish this is to put valuable insights in the hands of the people who need it most. For instance, a hospital could supply physicians, nurses, and shift managers with intuitive dashboards that allow them to quickly access data on individual patients. Visualization software that offers real-time insights from laptops and mobile devices makes this on the floor access a realistic possibility.

2. Vital Details Beyond the Surface

The typical patient has quite a bit of data connected to their names. Just imagine someone with bipolar disorder or other conditions that require multiple visits, diagnosis, and treatments. There’s a lot to process, and in order to produce the best possible outcomes, healthcare professionals need on demand acces to to the patient’s complete and often complex medical history. Those results can be furthered improved with analytics that not only quickly serves up the basic essentials, but allows for drilling beneath the surface to uncover even more data about the patient and potential treatment options.

3. Social Data Mining

The social media space offers a plethora of business benefits and unique opportunities for entities in the healthcare arena, which is due in large part to the endless sea of information that streams through this digital channel. Slowly but surely, organizations are taking advantage by tapping into the goldmine that is social data. Leveragting analytics, healthcare analysts can mine social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to uncover consumer trends and patterns that fuel recommendations for exercise, dieting, and other activities that help patients lead healthier lives.

For those focused on the human element, the promise and potential of delivering vastly improved care and cost savings is one of the most interesting discussions taking place in the world of big data. With access to more advanced IT systems, providers are now in position to sift through massive amounts of information and transform that data into insights needed to change healthcare for the better. Monumental challenges exist, but arming medical generals with capable analytics tools, maximizing at-a-glance views of patient records, and tapping into the social well are viable ways to overcome them.