Big Data: Powering Longer, Better Lives

Here at CNSI, we see day-in and day-out how innovation in healthcare can improve the lives of millions of Americans. That’s why it came as no surprise that modern technology and big data has made its mark on yet another area of healthcare—this time for cancer patients.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published a study on the effectiveness of an online tool that patients with advanced cancer utilized to report chemotherapy symptoms. The researchers found that the real-time reporting gave nurses the ability to adjust patient medications, which allowed patients to withstand chemotherapy treatment longer. In turn, patients who electronically reported their symptoms lived five months longer than those who waited to speak with their doctors during office visits.

Lead author and oncologist at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Dr. Ethan Basch, told The Washington Post, “We have limited time to see a lot of people as oncologists. But we can harness technology to improve the quality of how we practice and to bring us closer to our patients.”

This groundbreaking research, which was recognized as one of four “clinically significant” studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, reaffirms the value of utilizing technology and patient-generated data to improve quality of care. So, whether its capturing patient-reported outcomes, tracking opioid abuse, or reporting on cause-of-death trends, innovation and big data both have their role in improving the health and quality of life for Americans.