Small businesses and multinational corporations alike have access to incredibly advanced, robust tools that are able to streamline tasks, procedures, and processes that used to consume precious time and energy. But, while all sectors are benefiting from this transformational shift, three industries in particular are experiencing more immediate and significant results.
1. Healthcare Industry
You could argue that no industry has undergone as much recent change as healthcare. In particular, big data has powered changes in the way that electronic records are organized, filed, and stored, all thanks to electronic health records (EHRs).
“Medicine is an information-rich enterprise,” HealthIT.gov reports. “A greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital health care infrastructure, created by electronic health records (EHRs), encompasses and leverages digital progress and can transform the way care is delivered and compensated. With EHRs, information is available whenever and wherever it is needed.”
Some of the biggest benefits of EHRs include:
- Enhanced patient care. The most important thing in the healthcare industry is patient care. Doctors and facilities are continuously looking for ways to improve the quality of the care that they offer, and EHRs allow them to do just that. On the provider side, EHRs allow for quicker access to patient records. On the patient side of things, there’s a reduced need for filling out paperwork, as well as fewer complications involving prescription renewals.
- Cost savings. EHRs greatly increase efficiency and lead to enormous cost savings for healthcare providers. According to a national survey of doctors, 79 percent of providers believe that their EHR system significantly improves their efficiency. Assuming that these statistics can be extrapolated over a number of years, this could lead to millions of dollars in savings for large hospitals and health systems.
- Better patient engagement. “A common concern among practices is getting paid quicker for appointments,” says AdvancedMD, one of the leading EHR providers in the industry. Many EHR platforms come with integrated payment systems that sync with patient information to enhance balance collection processes. This is just one way in which practices are increasing engagement with patients.
While most doctors and patients don’t think about it when interacting with EHRs, the truth is that big data is responsible for fueling these technologies. It’s just one of the ways in which big data is forever altering the face of healthcare in this country. Continue reading the article.
