Big Data Risks and Rewards
WK4DiscussEvansM
Initial Post
Big data in healthcare is all information regarding a patient, including information about
their health and healthcare. The collection and use of data have multiple purposes, including
measuring patient outcomes, improving nursing practice, and research. According to McGonigle
and Mastrain, nurses collect, process, generate, and sort data to improve patient outcomes by
challenging the known. (2017) It is the nurses’ responsibility to identify issues in patient care and
adjust the care provided to achieve desired patient outcomes. (Macieria, Smith, Davis, Yao,
Wilkie, Lopez, & Keenan, 2017)
One potential benefit of big data in healthcare is communication. With the growing use of
and advancing EHRs and patient portals, communication between the patient and provider, and
also provider to provider has become more efficient. Many systems now allow for patients to
have access to their health information through secured websites and they can also send
messages directly to their doctor through the website. This ease of communication allows
