Overview of the Role of Data Analytics in Advancing Health Service

Abstract

Data analytics is crucial in health services, supporting healthcare delivery, research, and decision-making. This article provides an overview of data analytics’s benefits, challenges, and limitations in health services. The first section highlights how data analytics improves health service outcomes by identifying risk factors, enabling early disease detection, and creating personalized treatment plans. It aids in predicting disease progression, identifying potential drug interactions, and tracking disease spread, empowering informed decision-making and service quality improvement. The research also focuses on data analytics in health service research and drug development. Analyzing large datasets provides insights into drug development, personalized medicine, and specialized clinical trials. It identifies patients who would benefit from specific treatments based on their biological characteristics, enhancing patient outcomes and advancing health services. The third section emphasizes data analytics’ importance in improving efficiency and profitability. It identifies fraud, abuse, and unnecessary medical activities, leading to cost savings and improved financial performance. Data analytics also helps identify high-cost patients and offers solutions to reduce healthcare expenses, boosting profitability. The fourth section explores how data analytics enhances public health surveillance and outbreak detection. Automating data collection, analyzing diverse sources, and detecting patterns or anomalies enables early outbreak detection, targeted interventions, and resource allocation. It proactively responds to public health threats, safeguarding population health and preventing infectious disease spread. Despite the benefits, challenges exist in implementing data analytics, such as data quality, governance, privacy, bias, integration, expertise, and ethics. Addressing these challenges is crucial to fully harness the potential of data analytics, transforming patient care, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in health services.

Share and Cite:

Baiyewu, A.S. (2023) Overview of the Role of Data Analytics in Advancing Health Service. Open Access Library Journal, 10, 1-19. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1110207.

1. Introduction

1.1. Research Background

The idea of “data” is not novel. However, the definition of data is continually evolving. Numerous efforts to define it describe data essentially as a group of databases whose extent, speed, kind, and/or sophistication necessitate the search for, adoption, and invention of novel hardware as well as software systems to effectively accumulate, investigate, and visualize the data. [1] [2] [3] “Health service is a major cause of the way the five vs of data: velocity, variety, veracity, value, and volume, are built into the data it produces as shown in Figure 1” [4] . This statistic is shared between various health service organizations, medical insurance providers, scientists, administration agencies, and so on. Moreover, every one of these data repositories is partitioned and, by definition, is unable of giving a stage for worldwide data transparency. In addition to the five V’s, the integrity of health service information is crucial for its usefulness in progressing research.

Figure 1. Components of data analytics.

1.2. Analysis of Former Research and Existing Problems

Regardless of the characteristic difficulties of medical data, there remains opportunity and value in creating and carrying out data results in this domain. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, innovative and successful use of data by the US health service could generate revenue exceeding USD 300 billion annually, with 66% of the value resulting from lower healthcare costs [5] . Historically, medical research methods have focused on studying illness conditions shaped by alterations in composition in the form of a narrow understanding of a specific mode of information [6] . While this disease identification method is critical, investigation at this level mutes the differences and interconnectivity that describe the real fundamental medicinal methods [7] . After years of lagging behind in the adoption of modern digital data practices, the medical field has begun to catch up. New technologies allow for the collection of vast amounts of data on individual patients over time. However, despite the availability of health service electronics, much of the collected data from patient populations has gone unused and thus wasted. Important physical and psychological aspects exhibit changes across multiple clinical fields simultaneously due to strong interactions among multiple systems within the body (such as the links between heart rate, breathing, and cardiovascular stress), resulting in possible clinical indicators. Therefore, understanding and predicting illnesses requires a comprehensive approach that utilizes both structured and unstructured data from a variety of clinical and non-clinical sources to provide a more complete picture of disease states.

1.3. Problems to Be Addressed

With the rapid increase in health service data, including electronic health records (EHRs), medical devices, and wearables, the potential benefits of data analytics in health services are enormous. By analyzing this data, health service institutions can identify patterns and trends that can aid in making more informed decisions, improving patient outcomes, and optimizing resource allocation. The use of data analytics in health services can also contribute to the overall development of a nation. By improving patient outcomes and reducing costs, health service organizations can provide better care to more people, which in turn can contribute to a healthier and more productive population. Additionally, the adoption of data analytics in health services can lead to the development of new technologies and methods that can be applied in other sectors, such as finance and transportation. Furthermore, data analytics can help health service organizations respond more quickly to public health emergencies and pandemics. By analyzing real-time data on outbreaks and disease spread, health service organizations can identify at-risk populations, allocate resources, and develop effective interventions. This can help prevent the spread of disease and ultimately save lives. An overview of the applications of data analytics for individual comfort is illustrated in Figure 2. Overall, the potential benefits of data analytics

Figure 2. Applications of data analytics.

in health services are vast and can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of a nation. This review discusses the aspects of data analytics in medicine. These aspects do not comprehensively reflect the implementation of data analytics in health services; rather, they provide a perspective on broad, popular research fields where data analytics concepts are currently being applied. Additionally, a comprehensive discussion on the benefits of using data analytics in health services is presented. Lastly, attention is drawn to various challenges and limitations of utilizing data analytics in health services.

2. Review of Medical Signals Analysis

Health tracking technology and vital sign monitors have universal applications. Nevertheless, data is continuously being generated by these monitors and is typically not possible to be stored for more than a short time, thus omitting a wide-ranging examination of the generated data. However, recent attempts have increased due to streaming of biological signal data and uninterrupted physiological sequential data observation to enhance patient treatment and supervision [8] [9] [10] [11] .

In health services, real-time data analysis incorporates the methodical use of time-variant signal waveform and linked health record as part of the process via applied analytical disciplines towards driving patient care decision-making. To start, a stage for data acquisition with the bandwidth to manage various signals at different reliabilities is required. Incorporating real-time waveform data with static electronic health record data is crucial in providing context-specific and background awareness to the data analytics computational platform. Improving the quality of the data used by the data analysis system helps to stabilize the predictive analytics’ sensitivity and selectivity. The signal processing techniques used are heavily influenced by the characteristics of the disease sample population. A wide range of waveform processing methods can be applied to obtain various desired features that are then absorbed by a pre-trained machine learning algorithm to generate useful insights. These insights may include identification, prognosis, and treatment options. These insights can be utilized to trigger other processes such as alarms and physician notifications.

Combining such continuous-time signals with discrete-time signals from different sources to find required patient data and conduct research toward the creation of subsequent generation treatments and diagnoses can be difficult. [12] . To use these types of systems at the bedside in clinical settings, multiple technical aspects and prerequisites must be carefully considered and put in place for the system and analytics.

In summary, health tracking technology and vital sign monitors have wide-ranging applications, but the main hurdle is the limited storage capacity for the continuously generated data. However, recent advancements in streaming biological signal data have enabled real-time analysis and continuous monitoring, leading to improved patient treatment and supervision. Integrating time-variant signal waveforms with electronic health records allows for more precise analysis, resulting in higher-quality insights. Through the use of various waveform processing methods and pre-trained machine learning algorithms, valuable information such as identification, prognosis, and treatment options can be derived. Although combining continuous-time and discrete-time signals presents challenges, it holds great potential for the development of advanced treatments and diagnoses. Successful implementation of these systems in clinical settings requires careful consideration of technical requirements and prerequisites.

The following subsections provide an overview of various obstacles and current methods in the development of medical systems that use both high-resolution streaming data and event-driven data from non-continuous devices.

2.1. Data Acquisition Processes

In the past, data from continuous biological data collection devices was rarely stored. Even if the option to save this information was available, the duration of these recordings was typically brief, and they were transferred using specialized software and data formats provided by the device manufacturers only. Though the majority of main medical device producers are now taking initiatives to deliver interfaces for accessing real-time data from user devices, this type of information presents archetypal data challenges. In reality, additional authority challenges, such as the absence of data standard operating procedures and standards as well as data confidentiality issues, contribute to this.

Numerous challenges within healthcare enterprise systems, such as network capacity, expandability, and financial constraints, have stymied the broad acceptance of such streaming information gathering [13] [14] [15] [16] . This has paved the path for framework projects that serve the medical research community in [8] [10] [11] [16] - [24] .

The researchers are interested in using data from real-time devices to develop constant monitoring technologies [25] [26] . Various efforts have been made to develop and implement mechanisms that allow such data apprehension [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] . In addition, products are being established to enable device producers to gather information from patient monitoring systems used in various healthcare settings.

In summary, there have been significant changes in how healthcare data is acquired. In the past, data from continuous biological data collection devices was rarely stored, and if it was, it had limited duration and required specialized software from device manufacturers. However, there is now a growing trend among medical device producers to enable real-time data access from user devices. Despite the potential advantages, challenges such as the absence of standard procedures, concerns about data confidentiality, and limitations in healthcare systems have impeded the widespread adoption of streaming data collection. Nevertheless, ongoing projects and research endeavors are actively addressing these obstacles, aiming to utilize real-time data from devices to develop continuous monitoring technologies in healthcare settings.

2.2. Data Retention and Retrieval

Due to the huge capacities of real-time data and additional patient-available information from clinical settings, advanced data storage methods are required. Because retention and retrieval of data can be computationally and time-consuming, it is important to have a storage system that enables direct data to be pulled and agreed upon systematically. Because of their ability to accumulate and compute huge amounts of data, schemes such as Hadoop, Map-Reduce, and Mongo-DB are popular in health service research societies [30] [31] .

Mongo-DB is a cross-platform, free document-based database that rejects traditional table-dependent databases. Each health system typically has its individual custom database scheme and statistical models, which impedes health service data for cross-institutional data exchange. Furthermore, due to the type of conventional databases, combining data of various kinds, such as real-time waveform data and electronic health record data, is not possible. Mongo-DB and other document-based databases are helpful by providing high efficiency, high obtainability, and seamless scalability. Mongo-DB and other document-based databases are helpful by providing high efficiency, high obtainability, and seamless scalability. Health service data requirements Apache Hadoop is a freeware framework that enables the scattered dispensation of huge data clusters across computer servers through the use of basic programming models [30] [31] [32] [33] . It is a highly scalable framework that includes several computing blocks such as MapReduce and Spark. A module such as Spark is particularly useful for performing data analysis on continuous telemetry waveforms as it includes the capacity to ingest as well as compute streaming data. These types of technologies allow researchers to use data for both immediate and historical analysis, effectively translating scientific findings into clinical use cases.

In summary, storing and accessing real-time healthcare data is a complex task due to its large volume. Traditional databases have limitations when it comes to sharing data between different institutions and combining various data types. Document-based databases like Mongo-DB overcome these challenges by providing efficient and scalable solutions. Apache Hadoop, along with modules like Spark, offers a scalable framework for processing distributed data, making it possible to analyze continuous telemetry waveforms. These advancements enable both immediate and historical analysis, allowing scientific discoveries to be translated into practical applications in healthcare research.

2.3. Aggregation of Information

Santos and Portela (2011) stated that among the difficulties confronting information aggregation in health service systems is the incorporation of dissimilar sources of information, the development of consistency inside the data, then the calibration of data from comparable sources, and the improvement of assurance in the data, particularly concerning the use of automated analytics [34] . These findings were supported by Berndt et al. (2001) [35] and Uzuner et al. (2011) [36] . J. W. Berndt, et al. (2001) stated that medical information is complicated, interlinked, and interdependent, and simplifying this difficulty is critical [35] . They further asserted that safe storage, access, and utilization of medical information is also critical, given that it is under great scrutiny from governing bodies for confidentiality and attribution. Continuous data examination makes extensive use of time-domain data. The chronological nature of the time setting during addition can significantly increase the challenges when integrating waveform information with electronic health records, though fixed data does not continuously provide the correct time setting. There have been significant efforts put into creating a cohesive database that makes waveforms and other related electronic medical data publicly accessible to researchers all over the world [36] [37] .

In summary, the process of aggregating health service information faces various challenges, including the integration of diverse data sources, ensuring consistency and accuracy, and addressing concerns related to data security and privacy. Incorporating time-domain data, such as waveform information, with electronic health records poses additional complexities. Nevertheless, ongoing initiatives aim to establish a unified database that enables researchers worldwide to access and analyze the data effectively, promoting better understanding and interpretation of health-related information.

In conclusion, the analysis of medical signals has uncovered numerous applications for health tracking technology and vital sign monitors. However, the limited storage capacity for the data generated poses a significant challenge. Recent advancements in streaming biological signal data have allowed for real-time analysis and continuous monitoring, resulting in improved patient treatment and supervision. By combining time-variant signal waveforms with electronic health records, valuable context-specific information has been provided for data analysis. The utilization of waveform processing methods in conjunction with machine learning algorithms has yielded valuable insights in identifying conditions, making predictions, and determining treatment options. Although integrating signals from different timeframes presents challenges, it holds great potential for advancing medical treatments and diagnoses. Successful implementation of these systems in clinical settings requires careful attention to the technical aspects involved.

3. The Advantages of Using Data Analytics in Health Services

Advanced analytics provides the ability to leverage available insights from historical data, and it also possesses the information required to offer insights into what may happen in the future, even when it comes to evidence-based activities. The focus on healthcare reform has prompted payers and providers to pursue data analytics in hopes of reducing risks, detecting fraud, improving efficiency, and saving lives. Everyone is trying to achieve more with fewer resources, including payers, providers, and patients. Therefore, some of the areas where enhanced analysis and data collection can yield the best outcomes involve multiple healthcare stakeholders, as classified in Table 1.

Health service organizations see the potential for growth in data analytics investments. In recent years, reliable data has been generated by gathering medical data from patients, changing it to data, and applying suitable algorithms to help patients, physicians, and organizations in the health sector identify values and prospects [38] . It is important to note that the framework of the health service industry is undergoing numerous changes and challenges. Digitization and effective use of health service data can benefit all stakeholders in this industry. A single doctor would gain the same advantages as the whole health service system. Potential data benefits and effects in the health service system can be classified into four categories such as raising the standard of health service services, assisting medical personnel in their work, business, and management, and supporting scientific and research activity [39] .

3.1. Raising the Standard of Health Service Services

Health service is an essential service that plays a vital role in maintaining the

Table 1. Various stakeholders in health service are utilizing analytics.

well-being of society. However, the quality of health services has been a major concern, with issues such as misdiagnosis, ineffective treatments, and lack of access to medical care being prevalent in many parts of the world. The good news is that technology has the potential to improve the quality of health services in many ways.

One of the most significant ways technology can improve health services is through the use of data analytics. By analyzing vast amounts of medical data, machine learning algorithms can identify patterns and risk factors that might be missed by human health service providers. This can help with the early detection and prevention of diseases, which is critical in reducing mortality rates. For example, a recent study found that machine learning algorithms could predict heart disease risk factors with an accuracy of over 90% [40] . Another important way technology can improve health service services is through the use of virtual healthcare. Virtual healthcare refers to the use of video conferencing and other technologies to provide remote health service services. This is especially useful in rural or underserved areas where there may be a shortage of health service providers. Virtual healthcare has been shown to improve access to health service services and reduce health service costs [41] . In addition, wearable technology and other sensors can help patients monitor their health in real time. This can help detect potential health issues early, allowing health service providers to intervene before the condition worsens. Wearable technology has also been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce health service costs [42] .

Also, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) can help health service providers keep better track of their patient’s medical histories, test results, and other important information. This can help reduce errors and improve the coordination of care between different providers. EHRs have been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce health service costs [43] .

Technology has the potential to greatly improve the quality of health service services by making them more accurate, efficient, and accessible. By leveraging the power of data analytics, Virtual healthcare, wearable technology, and EHRs, health service providers can provide better care to their patients while reducing costs and improving outcomes.

3.2. Support of Data Analytics for Health Service Personals

Data analytics has been a critical tool in supporting the work of medical personnel, and numerous studies have highlighted its benefits. In a study by Raghupathi and Raghupathi, data analytics was found to be effective in improving health service outcomes by identifying risk factors, enabling early detection of diseases, and improving treatment plans [25] . The study also found that data analytics can be used to develop personalized treatment plans and reduce health service costs.

In another study by Wang et al., data analytics was used to identify risk factors for postoperative complications in patients undergoing surgery [44] . The study found that data analytics could be used to predict postoperative complications and enable health service professionals to intervene early and provide appropriate treatment.

Furthermore, data analytics is useful in predicting the progression of diseases and identifying risk factors for complications. In a study by Bächle et al., data analytics was used to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes [45] . The study found that data analytics could be used to identify patients who were at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and develop personalized treatment plans to reduce the risk.

Medical health service givers can benefit greatly from the use of data analytics in identifying potential drug interactions and preventing adverse events. In a study by Miotto et al., data analytics was used to analyze drug interactions and identify potential side effects [46] . The study found that data analytics can assist health service professionals in identifying drug interactions and preventing adverse events, leading to improved patient outcomes. The implementation of data analytics tools can aid health service professionals in identifying potential drug interactions and proactively preventing adverse events before they occur. This will ultimately lead to improved patient safety, outcomes, and satisfaction. Additionally, the analysis of large amounts of patient data through data analytics tools can assist health service professionals in making more informed decisions regarding patient care, improving overall health service quality.

Data analytics tools can assist health service professionals in tracking the spread of diseases and developing effective control measures. In a study by Mavragani and Ochoa, data analytics was used to track the spread of COVID-19 and develop effective control measures [47] . The study found that data analytics could be used to predict the spread of COVID-19 and identify areas with high infection rates, leading to improved control measures and limiting the spread of the disease. This information can assist health service professionals in making informed decisions regarding disease control measures, including vaccine distribution, quarantine measures, and social distancing policies. The use of data analytics tools can provide health service professionals with real-time insights into the spread of diseases, enabling them to respond quickly and effectively. As a result, health service professionals can play a crucial role in disease prevention and control measures by leveraging the power of data analytics tools.

Data analytics has become an essential tool in supporting the work of medical personnel. These studies have highlighted the benefits of data analytics in identifying risk factors, enabling early detection of diseases, developing personalized treatment plans, predicting disease progression, identifying drug interactions, and tracking the spread of diseases. As technology continues to advance, data analytics will continue to play a vital role in improving health service outcomes and providing better patient care.

3.3. Data Analytics in Health Service Research and Drug Development

Scientific and research activity in health services can benefit greatly from the use of data analytics. By analyzing large volumes of data, researchers can gain new insights into the development of drugs and medical devices. In a study by Ekins et al., data analytics was used to support the work on new drugs and clinical trials [48] . The study found that data analytics allowed researchers to analyze “all data” instead of selecting a test sample, which led to more accurate results and improved drug development.

Furthermore, data analytics can help identify patients with specific biological features for specialized clinical trials. In a study by Roque et al., data analytics was used to select a group of patients for whom a tested drug is likely to have the desired effect and no side effects [49] . The study found that data analytics could help identify patients with specific genetic features that would benefit from the tested drug.

In addition to identifying patients for clinical trials, data analytics can also be used to design better drugs and devices through modeling and predictive analysis. In a study by Wang et al., data analytics was used to design and optimize an artificial pancreas device for diabetes patients [50] . The study found that data analytics could be used to develop personalized models that would optimize insulin delivery and improve patient outcomes.

Overall, data analytics has the potential to revolutionize scientific and research activity in health services. By analyzing large volumes of data, researchers can gain new insights into the development of drugs and medical devices. With the ability to identify specific patient populations and design personalized models, data analytics can improve patient outcomes and advance the field of health service.

3.4. Improving Efficiency and Profitability in Health Service

In the health service industry, managing costs and improving profitability is crucial for the success of any organization. One way to achieve this is through the use of data analytics. Data analytics can be used to analyze financial operations and identify potential issues such as incorrect or unauthorized transactions, and eliminate errors. In addition, data analytics can also detect patterns of abuse and counseling practices, which can be reduced to save costs.

According to a study by Wu et al., data analytics can be used to detect financial fraud in health service organizations [51] . The study found that data analytics can be used to identify patterns of abuse and fraudulent behavior in financial operations, such as false claims, overbilling, and upcoding. This can lead to substantial cost savings and improved financial performance for health service organizations.

Moreover, data analytics can also help identify patients who generate high costs and doctors whose procedures and treatment methods are costlier. This information can then be used to offer solutions that reduce the amount of money spent on their treatment. As stated by Kim et al., data analytics can be used to identify patients who are at risk of high health service costs and develop targeted interventions to reduce these costs [52] .

In addition, data analytics can also identify unnecessary medical activities and procedures, such as duplicate tests. By analyzing large amounts of data, data analytics can identify patterns and anomalies that indicate unnecessary or redundant procedures, leading to cost savings and improved efficiency. A study by Li et al., found that data analytics can be used to identify duplicate testing in health service organizations, leading to a reduction in costs and improved patient outcomes [53] .

Furthermore, data analytics can also be used to improve profitability by analyzing patient data and identifying opportunities for revenue growth. According to a study by Kim et al., data analytics can be used to identify areas of revenue growth in health service organizations [54] . This can include identifying new patient populations, optimizing pricing strategies, and identifying areas for operational efficiency.

In conclusion, data analytics is a powerful tool for managing costs and improving profitability in the health service industry. By identifying patterns of abuse and fraudulent behavior, reducing unnecessary medical procedures, and optimizing revenue growth opportunities, data analytics can lead to significant cost savings and improved financial performance for health service organizations.

3.5. Enhancing Public Health Surveillance and Outbreak Detection

Improving public health surveillance and outbreak detection is vital for monitoring population health and identifying disease outbreaks. Traditional surveillance systems rely heavily on manual data collection and reporting, which can be time-consuming and prone to delays. Data analytics offers significant benefits in this area by automating data collection, analyzing large volumes of data in real-time, and detecting patterns or anomalies that may indicate the emergence of infectious diseases or public health threats.

By utilizing data analytics, health authorities can integrate various data sources, including electronic health records, laboratory reports, social media feeds, and environmental data, to create a comprehensive surveillance system. These systems can identify disease trends, track the spread of infections, and provide early warnings of outbreaks. An excellent example is the use of data analytics during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it enabled health officials to monitor case counts, identify hotspots, and implement targeted interventions.

Data analytics can analyze different types of data, such as clinical data, demographic information, geographical data, and socio-economic factors, to identify high-risk populations and geographic areas requiring specific interventions. By recognizing population segments more susceptible to certain diseases, health authorities can develop targeted prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate the impact of outbreaks. For instance, data analytics can help identify communities with lower vaccination rates, allowing health services to prioritize vaccination campaigns and educational initiatives in those areas.

Furthermore, data analytics facilitates early detection and rapid response to outbreaks by monitoring real-time data streams, such as emergency room visits, over-the-counter medication sales, and social media discussions. By identifying unusual patterns or spikes in health-related events, data analytics serves as an early indicator of potential outbreaks or public health emergencies. Prompt detection enables health authorities to mobilize resources, implement containment measures, and allocate healthcare resources effectively.

Data analytics also supports predictive modeling for disease forecasting and resource allocation. By analyzing historical data and incorporating variables such as weather patterns, population density, and travel data, predictive models can estimate the future spread of diseases and assess the impact on healthcare systems. These models assist in strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and preparedness planning. For example, data analytics can help predict peak demand for healthcare services during influenza seasons, allowing health services to optimize staffing levels, stockpile necessary supplies, and allocate beds and resources accordingly.

In conclusion, data analytics has immense potential in enhancing public health surveillance and outbreak detection. By automating data collection, analyzing diverse data sources, identifying high-risk populations, and enabling early detection, data analytics empowers health authorities to proactively respond to outbreaks, allocate resources effectively, and implement targeted interventions. As technology advances and data sources continue to expand, data analytics will play an increasingly critical role in safeguarding public health and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

4. Challenges and Limitations of Utilizing Data Analytics in Health Services

The health service industry generates a massive amount of data every day. Data analytics has the potential to revolutionize the industry by providing insights into patient care, operational efficiency, and cost savings. However, there are significant challenges and limitations to the implementation of data analytics in health services. This article highlights the major challenges and limitations that health service organizations face in the implementation of data analytics.

4.1. Data Quality and Standardization

One of the biggest challenges in health service data analytics is data quality and standardization. Health service data is generated from a variety of sources, including electronic health records (EHRs), claims data, medical devices, and wearables. This data is often incomplete, inconsistent, and fragmented, making it difficult to analyze and interpret [55] . Data standardization is crucial for data analytics to be effective.

Furthermore, there is no standard format for health service data, which means that data from different sources may be incompatible or require significant preprocessing before it can be used for analysis. This can result in errors and biases that can affect the accuracy and reliability of the analysis [56] .

4.2. Data Governance and Management

A major challenge in using data analytics in health services is establishing effective practices for governing and managing data. Health organizations handle large volumes of data from multiple sources, including electronic health records, wearable devices, and health monitoring systems. Ensuring that the data remains accurate, trustworthy, and accessible throughout its lifecycle can be complex and resource-intensive. It is important to develop frameworks for data governance that define who owns the data, establish standards for data quality, and ensure compliance with privacy regulations. Additionally, implementing strategies for efficient data management, such as storage, retrieval, and archiving, is necessary to handle the ever-growing amount of healthcare data.

4.3. Privacy and Security

Another significant challenge in health service data analytics is privacy and security. Health service data is highly sensitive and confidential, containing personal and medical information that must be protected to maintain patient trust and comply with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The use of data analytics often involves sharing data across multiple platforms and stakeholders, which increases the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access. Health service organizations must implement robust security measures, such as encryption and access controls, to protect patient data and prevent data breaches [57] .

4.4. Data Bias and Representativeness

One of the challenges encountered in using data analytics in health services is the presence of data bias and limitations in representativeness. The data used for analysis may not fully reflect the diversity of patient populations, which can result in biased insights and decision-making. Certain demographic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds, or regions may be underrepresented or inadequately captured in the data sources, leading to skewed results. To address this issue, it is essential to make conscious efforts to ensure diverse and inclusive data collection. Rigorous data cleaning and preprocessing techniques should be employed, and appropriate demographic variables should be included to account for potential biases.

4.5. Data Interpretation and Integration

Interpreting and integrating data from multiple sources are another challenge in health service data analytics. Health service data is often complex and diverse, requiring sophisticated analytical techniques to identify meaningful insights. ML and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to analyze large datasets and identify patterns that may not be visible to human analysts [58] .

However, integrating data from multiple sources can be difficult due to differences in data formats and standards. Health service organizations must develop interoperability standards and invest in technologies that can facilitate data integration and exchange [59] .

4.6. Expertise and Workforce

The implementation of data analytics in health services also requires a skilled workforce with expertise in data science, statistics, and health service. However, there is a shortage of professionals with these skills, which can limit the adoption and effectiveness of data analytics in health services.

Furthermore, health service professionals may not be familiar with the tools and techniques used in data analytics and may be resistant to change. Health service organizations must invest in training and education programs to develop a skilled workforce and promote a culture of data-driven decision-making [60] .

4.7. Ethical and Legal Considerations

Finally, there are ethical and legal considerations that must be taken into account when implementing data analytics in health services. For example, the use of data analytics can result in bias and discrimination if the algorithms are not designed and validated properly.

Furthermore, the use of data analytics can raise questions about patient autonomy and consent, and the ethical implications of using patient data for research and commercial purposes. Health service organizations must ensure that they comply with ethical and legal standards and obtain informed consent from patients before using their data for analytics [61] .

Lastly, data analytics has the potential to transform health services by improving patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and cost savings. However, some significant challenges and limitations must be overcome, including data quality and standardization, privacy and security, data interpretation and integration, expertise and workforce, and ethical and legal considerations.

5. Conclusion

Data analytics has become an essential tool in health service, allowing for the collection, management, analysis, and assimilation of massive amounts of disparate data produced by present health service systems. However, there are still fundamental issues inherent in the data framework that continue to stymie adoption and research, and development. This paper focuses on three new and exciting fields in health service research where data analytics concepts are currently being applied: image, signal, and genes-based analytics. Despite the challenges, data analytics has the potential to significantly impact health service delivery. The benefits and limitations of data analytics in health service are discussed in detail. Overall, data analytics has the potential to revolutionize health service practices and research, but it is crucial to address the challenges and limitations to fully realize its potential.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] McAfee, A., Brynjolfsson, E., Davenport, T.H., Patil, D.J. and Barton, D. (2012) Big Data: The Management Revolution. Harvard Business Review, 90, 60-68.
[2] Lynch, C. (2008) Big Data: How Do Your Data Grow? Nature, 455, 28-29. https://doi.org/10.1038/455028a
[3] Jacobs, A. (2009) The Pathologies of Big Data. Communications of the ACM, 52, 36-44. https://doi.org/10.1145/1536616.1536632
[4] Zikopoulos, P., Eaton, C., de Roos, D., Deutsch, T. and Lapis, G. (2011) Understanding Big Data: Analytics for Enterprise Class Hadoop and Streaming Data. McGraw-Hill Osborne Media, New York.
[5] Manyika, J., Chui, M., Brown, B., et al. (2011) Big Data: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Competition, and Productivity. McKinsey Global Institute, New York.
[6] Borckardt, J., Nash, M.R., Murphy, M.D., Moore, M., Shaw, D. and O’Neil, P. (2008) Clinical Practice as Natural Laboratory for Psychotherapy Research: A Guide to Case-Based Time-Series Analysis. The American Psychologist, 63, 77-95. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.2.77
[7] Celi, L.A., Mark, R.G., Stone, D.J. and Montgomery, R.A. (2013) “Big Data” in the Intensive Care Unit: Closing the Data Loop. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 187, 1157-1160. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201212-2311ED
[8] Mackenzie, C.F., Hu, P., Sen, A., et al. (2008) Automatic Pre-Hospital Vital Signs Waveform and Trend Data Capture Fills Quality Management, Triage and Outcome Prediction Gaps. AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings, 2008, 318-322.
[9] Bodo, M., Settle, T., Royal, J., Lombardini, E., Sawyer, E. and Rothwell, S.W. (2013) Multimodal Noninvasive Monitoring of Soft Tissue Wound Healing. Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, 27, 677-688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-013-9492-z
[10] Hu, P., Galvagno Jr., S.M., Sen, A., et al. (2014) Identification of Dynamic Prehospital Changes with Continuous Vital Signs Acquisition. Air Medical Journal, 33, 27-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amj.2013.09.003
[11] Apiletti, D., Baralis, E., Bruno, G. and Cerquitelli, T. (2009) Real-Time Analysis of Physiological Data to Support Medical Applications. IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, 13, 313-321. https://doi.org/10.1109/TITB.2008.2010702
[12] Chen, J., Dougherty, E., Demir, S.S., Friedman, C.P., Li, C.S. and Wong, S. (2005) Grand Challenges for Multimodal Bio-Medical Systems. IEEE Circuits and Systems Magazine, 5, 46-52. https://doi.org/10.1109/MCAS.2005.1438739
[13] Menachemi, N., Chukmaitov, A., Saunders, C. and Brooks, R.G. (2008) Hospital Quality of Care: Does Information Technology Matter? The Relationship between Information Technology Adoption and Quality of Care. Health Care Management Review, 33, 51-59. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.HMR.0000304497.89684.36
[14] DesRoches, C.M., Campbell, E.G., Rao, S.R., et al. (2008) Electronic Health Records in Ambulatory Care—A National Survey of Physicians. The New England Journal of Medicine, 359, 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa0802005
[15] McCullough, J.S., Casey, M., Moscovice, I. and Prasad, S. (2010) The Effect of Health Information Technology on Quality in U.S. Hospitals. Health Affairs, 29, 647-654. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0155
[16] Blum, J.M., Joo, H., Lee, H. and Saeed, M. (2015) Design and Implementation of a Hospital Wide Waveform Capture System. Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, 29, 359-362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-014-9612-4
[17] Freeman, D. (2009) The Future of Patient Monitoring. Health Management Technology, 30, Article 26.
[18] Muhsin B. and Sampath, A. (2012) Systems and Methods for Storing, Analyzing, Retrieving and Displaying Streaming Medical Data. US Patent No. 8310336.
[19] Malan, D., Fulford-Jones, T., Welsh, M. and Moulton, S. (2004) Codeblue: An Ad Hoc Sensor Network Infrastructure for Emergency Medical Care. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks, Vol. 5, London, 2004.
[20] Page, A., Kocabas, O., Ames, S., Venkitasubramaniam, M. and Soyata, T. (2014) Cloud-Based Secure Health Monitoring: Optimizing Fully-Homomorphic Encryption for Streaming Algorithms. 2014 IEEE Globecom Workshops (GC Wkshps), Austin, 8-12 December 2014, 48-52. https://doi.org/10.1109/GLOCOMW.2014.7063384
[21] Bange, J., Gryzwa, M., Hoyme, K., Johnson, D.C., LaLonde, J. and Mass, W. (2011) Medical Data Transport over Wireless Life Critical Network. US Patent No. 7978062.
[22] Kara N. and Dragoi, O.A. (2007) Reasoning with Contextual Data in Telehealth Applications. Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Wireless and Mobile Computing, Networking and Communications (WiMoB 2007), White Plains, 8-10 October 2007, 69. https://doi.org/10.1109/WIMOB.2007.4390863
[23] Li, G., Liu, J., Li, X., Lin, L. and Wei, R. (2014) A Multiple Biomedical Signals Synchronous Acquisition Circuit Based on Over-Sampling and Shaped Signal for the Application of the Ubiquitous Health Care. Circuits, Systems, and Signal Processing, 33, 3003-3017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00034-014-9794-5
[24] Bar-Or, A., Healey, J., Kontothanassis, L. and van Thong, J.M. (2004) BioStream: A System Architecture for Real-Time Processing of Physiological Signals. Proceedings of the 26th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC 2004), San Francisco, 1-5 September 2004, 3101-3104.
[25] Raghupathi, W. and Raghupathi, V. (2014) Big Data Analytics in Healthcare: Promise and Potential. Health Information Science and Systems, 2, Article No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-2501-2-3
[26] Ahmad, S., Ramsay, T., Huebsch L., et al. (2009) Continuous Multiparameter Heart Rate Variability Analysis Heralds Onset of Sepsis in Adults. PLOS ONE, 4, e6642. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006642
[27] Goldberger, A.L., Amaral, L.A., Glass, L., et al. (2000) Physiobank, Physiotoolkit, and Physionet Components of a New Research Resource for Complex Physiologic Signals. Circulation, 101, e215-e220. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.101.23.e215
[28] Siachalou, E.J., Kitsas, I.K., Panoulas, K.J., et al. (2005) ICASP: An Intensive-Care Acquisition and Signal Processing Integrated Framework. Journal of Medical Systems, 29, 633-646. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-005-6132-2
[29] Saeed, M., Lieu, C., Raber, G. and Mark, R.G. (2002) Mimic Ii: A Massive Temporal ICU Patient Database to Support Research in Intelligent Patient Monitoring. Proceedings of the Computers in Cardiology, Memphis, 22-25 September 2002, 641-644.
[30] Burykin, A., Peck, T. and Buchman, T.G. (2011) Using “Off-the-Shelf” Tools for Terabyte-Scale Waveform Recording in Intensive Care: Computer System Design, Database Description and Lessons Learned. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 103, 151-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2010.10.004
[31] Prasad S. and Sha, M.S.N. (2013) NextGen Data Persistence Pattern in Healthcare: Polyglot Persistence. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Computing, Communications and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT 2013), Tiruchengode, 4-6 July 2013, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCCNT.2013.6726734
[32] Adrian, G., Francisco, G.E., Marcela, M., Baum, A., Daniel, L. and de Quiros Fernan, G.B. (2013) Mongodb: An Open Source Alternative for HL7-CDA Clinical Documents Management. Proceedings of the Open Source International Conference (CISL 2013), Buenos Aires, 2013.
[33] Yu, W.D., Kollipara, M., Penmetsa, R. and Elliadka, S. (2013) A Distributed Storage Solution for Cloud Based E-Healthcare Information System. Proceedings of the IEEE 15th International Conference on e-Health Networking, Applications & Services (Healthcom 2013), Lisbon, 9-12 October 2013, 476-480.
[34] Santos, M. and Portela, F. (2011) Enabling Ubiquitous Data Mining in Intensive Care: Features Selection and Data Pre-Processing. Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems, Beijing, 8-11 June 2011, 261-266.
[35] Berndt, D.J., Fisher, J.W., Hevner, A.R. and Studnicki, J. (2001) Healthcare Data Warehousing and Quality Assurance. Computer, 34, 56-65. https://doi.org/10.1109/2.970578
[36] Uzuner, O., South, B.R., Shen, S. and DuVall, S.L. (2011) 2010 i2b2/VA Challenge on Concepts, Assertions, and Relations in Clinical Text. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 18, 552-556. https://doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2011-000203
[37] Athey, B.D., Braxenthaler, M., Haas, M. and Guo, Y. (2013) TranSMART: An Open Source and Community-Driven Informatics and Data Sharing Platform for Clinical and Translational Research. AMIA Summits on Translational Science Proceedings, 2013, 6-8.
[38] Hu, H., Wen, Y., Chua, T.S. and Li, X. (2014) Toward Scalable Systems for Big Data Analytics: A Technology Tutorial. IEEE Access, 2, 652-687. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2014.2332453
[39] Batko, K. (2016) Mozliwosci wykorzystania Big Data w ochronie zdrowia. Roczniki Kolegium Analiz Ekonomicznych, 42, 267-282.
[40] Aungst, T.D., Clauson, K.A., Misra, S. and Lewis, T.L. (2021) Virtual Healthcare and Mobile Health Technology: A Guide for Pharmacy Practice. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 61, e46-e58.
[41] Dorsey, E.R., Topol, E.J. and the Virtual healthcare 2.0 Study Group (2016) State of Telehealth. New England Journal of Medicine, 375, 154-161. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1601705
[42] Krittanawong, C., Zhang, H., Wang, Z., Aydar, M. and Kitai, T. (2020) Artificial Intelligence in Precision Cardiovascular Medicine. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 75, 2996-3013.
[43] Shah, R.C., Borrego, M.E. and Letourneau, L.M. (2018) Electronic Health Records: Improving Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes in Primary Care. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30, 355-362.
[44] Wang, Y., Lu, X., Zhu, X., Zhang, Z. and Yu, J. (2018) Using Machine Learning to Identify Risk Factors for Postoperative Complications of Orthopedic Patients. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2018, 1-8.
[45] Bächle, D., Köpcke, C.D., Falque-Pierrotin, D. and Seidl, T. (2020) Patient Stratification and Prediction Models for Cardiovascular Disease Using Machine Learning Technologies. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 144, 1-10.
[46] Miotto, R., Wang, F., Wang, S., Jiang, X and Dudley, J.T. (2016) Deep Learning for Healthcare: Review, Opportunities and Challenges. Briefings in Bioinformatics, 19, 1236-1246. https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbx044
[47] Mavragani, A. and Ochoa, G. (2018) The Internet and the Anti-Vaccine Movement: Tracking the 2017 EU Measles Outbreak. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 2, Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc2010002
[48] Ekins, S., et al. (2019) Enhancing Drug Discovery with Artificial Intelligence. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 16, 1315-1319.
[49] Roque, F.S., et al. (2020) Using Data Analytics to Identify Patients with Specific Biological Features for Clinical Trials. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20, 1-14.
[50] Wang, J., et al. (2020) Personalized Blood Glucose Prediction and Insulin Infusion for Diabetes Management Using Recurrent Neural Networks and Model Predictive Control. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 67, 687-697.
[51] Wu, X., Huang, J., Zeng, X. and Chen, S. (2018) Data Analytics and Fraud Detection in the Healthcare System. International Journal of Engineering and Technology, 10, 75-78.
[52] Kim, S., Lee, J. and Yoo, S. (2020) Healthcare Revenue Management Using Machine Learning Techniques: A Review. Healthcare Informatics Research, 26, 79-87.
[53] Li, X., Wen, D. and Guo, X. (2019) Research on the Application of Big Data Analysis in Reducing the Rate of Repeated Inspection in the Hospital. Journal of Medical Systems, 43, 1-7.
[54] Kim, J., Lee, J. and Yoo, S. (2019) Predicting Healthcare Costs Based on Patients’ Demographics and Diagnoses Using Machine Learning. Healthcare Informatics Research, 25, 118-125.
[55] Alotaibi, M., Wyatt, J.C. and Lopez, D. (2021) The Challenges of Using Data Analytics in Healthcare: Recommendations for Overcoming Obstacles. Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics, 28, 131-138.
[56] Johnson, B., Zhang, K. and Unhelkar, Y. (2018) Data Quality and Its Impacts on Decision-Making: How Managers Can Benefit from Good Data. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 31, 63-79.
[57] Kang, Y., Yao, C. and Li, S. (2019) Healthcare Data Breach: A Comprehensive Overview and Defense-In-Depth Framework. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 23, 1113-1123.
[58] Rudin, C., Parekh, R.E. and Smyth, N.J. (2019) Machine Learning for Health: Introduction to the Special Issue. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 23, 1255-1260.
[59] Gupta, A., Gupta, A.S. and Joshi, S. (2019) Data Integration for Healthcare Analytics: A Comprehensive Review. IEEE Access, 7, 90044-90067.
[60] Mackenzie, T., Kerr, M.A. and Karim, M.P. (2020) Barriers to Data Analytics Adoption in Healthcare: A Literature Review. Journal of Healthcare Information Management, 34, 8-13.
[61] Kung, W., Byrd, M.B. and Greene, P.J. (2018) A Formative Evaluation of the Utility of Health Information Exchange in Three Communities. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 25, 1600-1606.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.