Healthcare, Big Data and Cloud Computing

Abstract

The rapidly expanding field of Big Data is a result of the data deluge generated by the rapid increase in the use of mobile devices and social media. It has provided tools to collect, store, manage, and analyze huge volumes of data (either structured, semi-structured or unstructured) produced by current healthcare systems. Big Data Analytics has started to play a crucial role in the evolution of healthcare practices and research, being now applied towards aiding the process of care delivery and disease exploration. Cloud computing enables all Big Data operations through the provision of large storage and processing power. This paper introduces all of these notions in the context of healthcare. It discusses the advantages, but also challenges brought by Big Data to this field. It also proposes a Big Data Architecture for healthcare. Finally, it presents some of the areas of application of Big Data to healthcare in Romania.