DNP 825 How can large aggregated databases be used to improve population health?
Large, aggregated databases help healthcare organizations effectively manage population health. Medical and health data may include social or physical characteristics information such as home life, access to quality care, and work environments. Additionally, data on health management program engagement, health risks that are collected via the use of survey-based health assessments, as well as health insurance claims and membership files are important (Wells et al., 2016). Big data can be used to execute population health programs, allocate resources to those who may need them, and monitor the programs performance.
One current disease that affects the population in my healthcare organization is lung cancer. One evidence-based strategy in preventing lung cancer is avoiding factors that increase chances of lung cancer such as smoking (National Library of Medicine, 2022). Another strategy is lowering environmental risk factors such as exposure to radiation (National Library of Medicine, 2022). Through early lung cancer screening data could be collected on those people who smoke, those who might be exposed to secondhand smoke, and the frequency or quantity in how much a person may smoke. Data could also be collected on environmental factors such as where a person lives, workplace, or availability of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). All of this data could help develop strategies such as education, access to PPE, and radon gas testing, which will specifically target the at-risk population in an effort to prevent lung cancer.
References
National Library of Medicine. (2022, April 22). Lung cancer prevention (PDQ®) – PDQ cancer information summaries – NCBI bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK66017/
Wells, T. S., Ozminkowski, R. J., Hawkins, K., Bhattarai, G. R., & Armstrong, D. G. (2016). Leveraging big data in population health management. Big Data Analytics, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41044-016-0001-5
