The American healthcare system is in a state of flux. As millions sign-on to medical and insurance networks for the first time, demand on the system is at a record high. The increased strain—and the switch in perspective, from caring for the sick to supporting health—means that the healthcare system has little choice but to innovate and become more efficient. Doctors’ offices, hospitals, and other facilities that can’t provide the right data at the right time are putting the entire system at risk.
Fast Data uses big data to ensure that the healthcare industry can more safely and efficiently care for any patient who walks through the door.
Eliminate Wait Times and Improve Care
Say you’ve badly injured your ankle and are on the way to the hospital. What if you could skip the entire check-in process? By using a location-based smartphone application, paired with sensors at stoplights or freeway exits, the hospital is made aware of how soon you will arrive. Based on your self-reported symptoms, the staff completes necessary paperwork, references your records, and determines the urgency of your case before you even arrive.
We’ve seen how Fast Data applications have transformed other industries like logistics, gambling, and retail. Healthcare will also be transformed by using this technology. And contrary to what you might expect, there is more to Fast Data than speed. The technologies behind it—integration, analytics, event processing, and business process management—create a powerful system that delivers intelligent, automated, targeted action. The instant awareness generated by these technologies allows for real-time response, which couldn’t be any more important than when someone’s life is on the line.
The demand for always-on information has reshaped the way we interact with data and its role in the fabric of our lives. Seamless interaction between patients and the healthcare system, ensuring proper care and prompt service, is a natural extension of this reality.
Reducing Costs: Better for Patients, Better for Hospitals
Fast Data is really all about providing context, the what and where of events happening right now, which enables immediate action. Without context, hospital emergency rooms develop long wait times or repeat tests unnecessarily. These side effects drive healthcare costs up and system efficiency down. It’s not a matter of if healthcare will adopt these technologies, it’s a matter of when.
