News Feature | March 31, 2014

Big Data Top Priority For Feds

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Big Data In Healthcare For Feds

MeriTalk survey finds majority of federal executives surveyed believe big data is key to fulfilling mission objectives

Fifty-nine percent of the 150 federal executives surveyed by MeriTalk said “in five years fulfilling their agency’s mission objectives will depend on successfully leveraging Big Data.” The survey, underwritten by EMC Corporation, also found 62 percent of these executives say big data will improve patient care in Virginia and in military healthcare systems.

According to MobiHealth News, respondents to the survey included those “from the DoD, the VA, HHS, the NIH, the CDC, the FDA, and others. The federal employees were mostly managers, and they worked in research, healthcare delivery, healthcare informatics, and information technology.”

“‘Forty-seven percent of ‘feds’ say the successful use of mHealth technologies and data has the potential to be more impactful than the discovery of penicillin,’ Steve O’Keeffe, founder of MeriTalk, said in a statement. ‘That’s a real shot in the arm for improving federal healthcare.’”

“Emerging mHealth and M2M technology will together create a new healthcare data deluge, and tremendous opportunity to improve efficiency and patient care,” said Dan Dougherty, vice president, EMC Corporation in a press release. “DoD delivers healthcare to nearly 10 million people through TRICARE, and we know costs have been rising. Big Data analytics, mHealth, and M2M technology can make an impact in key areas including helping to more successfully manage chronic conditions with improved preventative care – monitoring and addressing symptoms before they become acute.”

The survey also found one in three respondents says their agency has already launched big data; however less than one in five say their agency is very prepared to work with big data. In addition, they will use big data for:

  • 35 percent to improve patient care
  • 31 percent to reduce costs
  • 28 percent to improve health outcomes
  • 22 percent to increase early detection

See the infographic HERE