Big data and data science in health care: What nurses and midwives need to know

O'Connor, Siobhan

Abstract

The evolution of technology in contemporary society has been accelerating in recent decades, with smaller, more interconnected hardware devices and software applications becoming the norm. As desktop computing paved the way for mobile platforms, which are now transitioning to wearable devices and other sensors, it is inevitable these electronic tools will advance into the realm of nanotechnology and biotechnology in the years to come. As the proliferation of information and communication technology continues it has led to a tsunami of digital data (Bates et al, 2014), which is being collected on many aspects of life. From monitoring nutrition via mobile apps, to tracking exercise and physiological signs on wearable devices, and sharing personal information on family, friends and life events via social media, a mass of data on the biological and behavioural activity of human beings is being collated (Brennan & Bakken, 2015).

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 8, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jan 10, 2018
• Publication Date: Jan 10, 2018
• Deposit Date: Nov 30, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Nursing
• Print ISSN: 0962-1067
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14164
• Keywords: General Nursing; General Medicine
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1015015