Editor's Note: This week's blog post is a guest contribution from Ali Melad, who brings us his perspective on the role of big data in U.S. health policy. The introduction of big data in public health is not merely an advancement but more of a transformative force with the potential to
One issue is that the data collection process requires healthcare workers to spend a ton of their time just inputting data, which contributes to burnout, moral injury, and some would say a lower quality of care. We’ve seen a similar thing in education where teachers and admins spend more and more time just inputting data into systems. What’s actually done with it is typically trimming fat, or using the data to argue for some new interventions. While I can appreciate how big data truly could be used to improve the quality of care, education, and whatever else, I don’t think I’ve seen a strong case for it in practice. What might I be missing?
Precision Policy: How Big Data is Reshaping U.S. Healthcare
One issue is that the data collection process requires healthcare workers to spend a ton of their time just inputting data, which contributes to burnout, moral injury, and some would say a lower quality of care. We’ve seen a similar thing in education where teachers and admins spend more and more time just inputting data into systems. What’s actually done with it is typically trimming fat, or using the data to argue for some new interventions. While I can appreciate how big data truly could be used to improve the quality of care, education, and whatever else, I don’t think I’ve seen a strong case for it in practice. What might I be missing?