Data Science in Healthcare: 4 Comprehensive Aspects

In the 21st century, every sector and organization relies heavily on data. Data has become a crucial aspect that drives the success of any organization. This sudden surge in the amount of data has led to the rise of Data Science. Data Science is the study of structured and unstructured data using scientific methods and algorithms to gain valuable and actionable insights. Data Science and its applications can be found in almost every aspect of our daily lives. This includes domains such as Healthcare, IT (Information Technology), Entertainment, Marketing, and many more.

Data Science in Healthcare is one of the sectors that has seen rapid progress in the past few years. Moreover, according to a study, it was found that at least 2 TB of data is generated daily from the human body itself. Some of these data sources include the Sugar Level, Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Stress Level of patients, and many more. Together, Data Science and Healthcare play a critical role in fostering a healthy society. As a result of this, most people are pursuing their Masters in the field of Health Data Science.

This article will give you a comprehensive idea of Data Science in Healthcare. You will also get to know about Health Data Science and its benefits in the Healthcare sector. Moreover, this article will discuss some of the real-world use cases of Data Science in Healthcare.

Table of Contents

• Introduction to Health Data Science
• Benefits of Data Science in Healthcare 
• Use Cases of Data Science in Healthcare
  • Medical Image Analysis
  • Predictive Analytics
  • Drug Discovery
  • Monitoring the Health of Patients
  • Virtual Assistance
• Future of Data Science in Healthcare
• Conclusion

Introduction to Health Data Science

Health Data Science can be termed as the science and art of deriving information from Big Data by understanding real-world health problems and applying critical analytics to develop solutions. This is an emerging field that involves the knowledge of Computer Science, Biostatistics, and Health. Moreover, many renowned universities also provide courses in the field of Health Data Science. This depicts the strong correlation between Data Science and Healthcare. 

To know more about Health Data Science, visit this link.

Benefits of Data Science in Healthcare 

Data Science in Healthcare plays a critical role in revolutionizing the Healthcare sector. This has led to an enhanced workflow of the Healthcare systems. Some of the benefits of Data Science in Healthcare includes:

• Data Science in Healthcare has made the workflow of the systems more efficient.
• The waiting time of patients has been reduced significantly.
• Data Science in Healthcare has reduced the chances of treatment failure.
• Data Science in Healthcare has enabled on-time and adequate treatment of the patients.
• Data Science in Healthcare has helped doctors to handle emergency treatments effectively.
• Data Science in Healthcare has provided actionable insights that have improved the clinic’s performance.

Use Cases of Data Science in Healthcare

There are numerous use cases associated with Data Science in Healthcare. A few of these includes:

• Medical Image Analysis
• Predictive Analytics
• Drug Discovery
• Monitoring the Health of Patients
• Virtual Assistance

1) Medical Image Analysis

Medical Image Analysis is one of the most common and important use cases of Data Science in the Healthcare sector. Medical Image Analysis deals with creating images of various body parts that can be used for Diagnostic and Treatment purposes. Some of the Medical Imaging techniques include CT scans, Sonography, X-Ray, MRI  (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), etc.

Previously, doctors would manually analyze these images and look for anomalies. However, this method was not very reliable and often doctors were unable to suggest proper diagnosis or treatments to the patients. But, with the advancement in technology, it has become possible to examine medical images with high accuracy. Thus, Data Science in Healthcare plays an important role in inspecting the anomalies present in the Medical Images and providing accurate diagnoses and treatments.

2) Predictive Analytics

Data Science in Healthcare plays a vital role in Predictive Analytics. In Predictive Analytics, a Machine Learning model is created that evaluates the historical and current data to find meaningful patterns and insights which further helps in future predictions. Predictive Analytics helps the Healthcare sector in numerous ways. It helps in enhancing the chronic disease management of the patients and also improves the efficiency of Pharmaceutical Logistics and Supply Chains. 

Moreover, modern hospitals recruit Health Data Science experts to forecast the patient’s health deterioration and provide preventive measures. It also plays a crucial role in forecasting the medical crisis for the patient. Thus, Predictive Analytics is one of the key use cases of Data Science in Healthcare.

3) Drug Discovery

Drug Discovery is a time-consuming procedure that necessitates Extensive Testing and significant Financial Investment. According to a study, it was found that Drug Discovery can cost up to $2.6 billion and can take up to 12 years to reach the market. In this scenario, Data Science and Healthcare are streamlining the Drug Discovery process and offering useful insights to enhance the success rate.

Data Science in Healthcare has helped pharmaceutical companies and researchers to easily evaluate large amounts of data in a short period. As a result, now medicines, and vaccines can be prepared in a year. For example, in the case of COVID-19, Health Data Science played a critical role in discovering the vaccines. Thus, Data Science in Healthcare has created a major impact and made life easier.

Using data science in healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry trends can gain valuable insights into patient behavior, drug efficacy, and market trends, leading to more personalized care, improved outcomes, and increased profitability.

4) Monitoring the Health of Patients

Data Science has created a profound impact in the field of IoT (Internet of Things). Wearable technology such as Smart Watches, Fit Bands, and other devices based on IoT is used to monitor a patient’s Heart Rate, Temperature, and other medical indicators. Further, Data Science is used to analyze these obtained data.

Apart from the wearable technologies containing IoT, few devices also take advantage of real-time analytics to forecast whether or not the patient will have a problem depending on their current state. Furthermore, it aids doctors in taking decisions regarding the condition of the patients. Thus, the combination of Data Science and Healthcare has the potential to transform the industry.

5) Virtual Assistance

Health Data Science has enabled Data Scientists to develop a Virtual Assistance platform that can assist patients in their daily tasks. In these platforms, a patient can input his or her symptoms and receive information on numerous possible ailments based on the confidence rating.

One of the popular Virtual Assistance is Ada. Ada is a Berlin-based startup that diagnoses disease based on the patient’s symptoms. Woebot is also another Virtual Assistance platform that offers depression therapy treatments to patients. Overall, through numerous applications in development and technology, Data Science has aided in the advancement of the Healthcare sector.

Future of Data Science in Healthcare

The use of Data Science in Healthcare has resulted in significant progress in this field. Below are the 3 primary factors that contributed to the improvements:

• Reduction in Treatment Expenses and Duration: Previously, Treatment Expenses were prohibitively expensive and Duration was significantly high. However, by incorporating Data Science into Healthcare, Treatment Expenses and Duration have been decreased substantially. 
• Innovations in Technology: With technological advancements, there has been a surge in the field of Health Data Science. It is one of the driving forces behind Data Science’s advancement in the Healthcare sector.
• Massive Digitization: Massive Digitization is required to handle a tremendous volume of data. To influence the Healthcare sector, it was important to digitize the process. It is one of the driving forces for the development of Health Data Science.

Health Data Science has already begun to address all of these issues and is transforming the Healthcare sector day by day. It has the potential to drive the Healthcare sector to new heights. There is no doubt, together Data Science and Healthcare are doing wonders in the transformation process. The future of Data Science in Healthcare looks promising.

Conclusion

This article gave a comprehensive guide to Data Science in Healthcare. It also provided an outline of Health Data Science and how it is continuously improving the Healthcare sector. You also got to know about numerous use cases of Data Science in Healthcare. Thus, you can infer that Data Science and Healthcare have a strong correlation and that they are creating wonders in the real world.

Businesses can use automated platforms like Hevo Data to set the integration and handle the ETL process. It helps you directly transfer data from a source of your choice to a Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence tools, or any other desired destination in a fully automated and secure manner without having to write any code and will provide you a hassle-free experience.

Give Hevo a try by signing up for the 14-day free trial today.

Share your experience of learning about Data Science in Healthcare in the comments section below!