Digitalization has played an enormous part in the revolution and growth of many industries. Yet while data and insights have provided groundbreaking ways to improve efficiency, decision making and even cut business operation costs, healthcare in broad terms has experienced slow progress.
However, over the past decade the shift has gained rapid pace, with the industry now beginning to embrace innovation and incorporate big data into core operations.
One thought leader at the forefront of digitalization in healthcare is Raj Karnani of Karnani Healthcare Analytics. Previously a practicing physician and now a Healthcare Analytics Translator, he is witnessing and aiding the innovation on the front line.
In their interview with Raj Karnani, as part of their Data Science Interview Series, AI Time Journal questioned how digitalization is impacting healthcare, including:
- The growth of digitalization in the healthcare industry
- Key developments in healthcare analytics
- How to bridge the gap between business and IT
A snippet of the interview is provided below:
Data science is the next frontier in medicine, says Raj Karnani
“Data science hasn’t penetrated the world of medicine and healthcare like it has other industries, but it will over the next 5-10 years, and it will likely lead to substantial growth”. As part of his work with Karnani Healthcare Analytics, Raj Karnani is providing solutions that address the issues of healthcare head on, to make the lives of physicians and nurses better.
There is a gap between medical practitioners and IT
Such issues include electronic medical records that were designed and created by IT specialists without the input of practicing physicians and nurses. “As a result, electronic medical records are primarily helpful only for providing documentation for billing at the expense of worsening workflow. This is the gap I try to bridge as an analytics translator”.
Natural language processing will be a big area of exploration in trying to extract this largely untapped data
As an industry tied down by written notes, Raj thinks huge progress can be made by looking at alternative ways to manage this process through data.
Raj Karnani continues to help fast-track the progress of digitalization in the healthcare industry, and is often asked to be a speaker at events such as the Data & Informatics Week by Reuters Events.
In such talks, Raj highlights how big data can ameliorate the problem of clinician burnout, if data analysis continues to be embraced and utilized.
“Medicine, as an industry, is typically about 15-20 years behind other industries when it comes to adopting new technologies. Part of this is due to the general reluctance healthcare workers have in using data to guide decision-making.”.
With many important names in the field of medicine in the U.S taking part in the event, this is another opportunity for the healthcare industry to recognize and consider digitalization.
Interested in hearing more from Raj Karnani? Follow him on LinkedIn
Raj Karnani is committed to helping the healthcare industry revolutionize and benefit from data. To see his journey, you can follow Raj Karnani on LinkedIn.
More information:
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