Applying Big Data to Pediatric Care

1. Benson S. Hsu, MD, MBA*,†,‡ 2. Justin P. Smith, PhD* 3. Emily R. Griese, PhD*,†,‡ 1. *Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, SD 2. †Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD 3. ‡Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD At the forefront of health-care innovation is the ability to harness the power and potential of big data, commonly described as data with 3 key components: volume, variety, and velocity. Health-care gathers one of the largest and most diverse data sets, with some health systems harboring nearly 2 decades worth of electronic medical records (EMRs). Big data, however, is more than just a large volume of data (often a terabyte or even petabyte in size); it also intentionally merges a variety of data sources. In health-care, this may comprise traditional EMR data combined with data sets such as census and geospatial data. Coupled with velocity, ie, the capacity to manage rapidly generated data (ie, through personal health monitors), big data provides a new dimension to health-care, one with the possibility to transform the way patient care is provided. This In Brief aims to explore advances in using big data, the possibilities that exist with its application, and its relevance to health-care professionals. Health-care data are messy. Considering the number of data collectors in a clinic or hospital or health-care system, from nurses to physicians to registrars to coders, and the various data captures, from physician notes to pathology reports to coding abstractions, the potential for interpretation and recorder biases are numerous, resulting in the familiar adage of “garbage in, garbage out.” Combining non–health-care data sources with traditional health-care data is further fraught with concerns given the …