Big Data’s Big Splash at the Arab Health Congress 2014

Big data, Exhaust Data, Industrial Internet and Clinical Applications are the buzzwords at the two-day big data Conference at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress.

The 2^nd big data Conference at the Arab Health Congress 2014 on January 28-29, 2014 held in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre witnessed the experts and policy-makers discuss the diverse aspects of Big Data’s impact on digital health.

The applications of big data within digital health

Moderated by Atif Kureishy, Principal, Booz Allen Hamilton MENA region, the conference kick-started with a presentation on how Industrial Internet is changing the old ways of healthcare data transmission followed by a panel discussion and presentations on the Big Data best practices and its clinical applications.

“Labour costs represent over 50 percent of hospital operating budgets,”

Said Maher Abouzeid, President and CEO of GE Healthcare for the Middle East and Pakistan.

"Through GE Healthcare's Industrial Internet mission, we aim to deliver outcome-based offerings and solutions for customers to enhance the productivity and efficiency of the hospital infrastructure. This is of great significance to the Middle East region, where healthcare costs are increasing, in line with the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases and growth in population."

Only a week ago, GE acquired API Healthcare strengthening its Big Data services portfolio as part of its ‘Industrial Internet’ strategy.

By enabling a seamless transfer and sharing of medical data between physicians, patients, machines and labour in real-time using a mix of software and analytics, GE aims to reduce operating costs and simplify hospital administration.

Dr. Madis Tiik of Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia explained the lessons that can be learnt from the Estonian National Integrated Electronic Healthcare System that was adjudged as the best in OECD countries.

Tiik outlined how data management by hospitals in the digital health information system, development of necessary clinical decision support, digital information exchange between various hospitals and telemedicine can transform a nation’s healthcare system.

Exhaust data - huge amounts of big data produced as a by-product in clinical, pharmaceutical and administrative settings.

Dr. Barry Chaiken, Chief Medical Information Officer of Infor Global Solutions, outlined how hospitals can use Exhaust Data such as electronic medical records (EHRs), medical imaging, clinical trial data, patient behaviour data, etc., and leverage it to understand, analyse and manage processes and workflow to provide better user experience to patients.

Best practices of big data

The best practices followed by the Texas Medical Centre in the clinical applications of Big Data and how they are relevant to the world’s largest health city in Dubai were outlined by Bill McKeon, the Chief Strategy & Development Officer of the TMC.

Later, Dr. Ali Mokdad released

“The State of Arab World Health, 1990-2010: Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors”,

...a report that analyses the changes and trends in the Middle East’s health data over the last two decades. The report states that the average life expectancy in the region increased by up to 30 years.

The report also states that Arabs are living longer than ever before but that does not mean people are healthier. Chronic diseases, lifestyle-related diseases, depression and anxiety disorders form the ‘burden of disease’ in the Middle East.

The 2nd big data Conference concluded after a detailed panel discussion on national level plans and strategies that can be adopted in leveraging big data and Health IT systems.

Big data can identify looming problems much earlier and formulate action plans to achieve a range of health outcomes.