NUR6051-WEEK5-DISCUSSION REPLY 2

Technological advancement in the 21st century has resulted in tremendous improvement and growth in several industries. The healthcare industry has also integrated the use of technology in its application. Research has shown that the application of big data in the healthcare industry has had significant benefits and challenges to all the stakeholders involved (Kumar & Singh, 2018). The healthcare industry faces numerous challenges that range from maintaining standard operational efficiency and dealing with new diseases. It is undeniable that the use of technology improves the efficiency of operations within healthcare institutions and patients’ wellbeing. The general functions of healthcare organizations depend on how well they utilize the huge amounts of data they receive. This includes financial data, administration data, research, and development, among others. Nonetheless, it is essential to understand that big data in healthcare industries also has its risks.
The rewards of big data in the healthcare industry are numerous. According to Kumar and Singh (2018), these institutions can leverage big data by utilizing appropriate software and data analysis tools to determine big data themes and trends. They are then essential in providing the healthcare executives with the correct information regarding safety improvement, cost reduction, and improvements in quality of care. The information provided by these tools is critical in enabling the stakeholders to make critical financial decisions and medical information essential in improving the quality of care offered (Koh et al., 2011).
However, the use of big data and technology in this industry is faced by numerous challenges that risk the operations. One of the
challenges is ensuring the privacy of the health information acquired by the institutions. These organizations face a violation of privacy and confidentiality and privacy regulations when they use data in analytics without expressing patient’s permission. The other challenge involves data security since there is a risk of unauthorized individuals accessing confidential data (Manogaran et al., 2017). This risk puts health organizations in challenges of ensuring that the systems are well secure. Moreover, budget constraints are also a challenge due to the enormous amount of resources required to sustain this software’s operation. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that big data provides the healthcare industry with great value and enabling them to achieve improved clinical outcomes.