Press Release

What Benefits Does Big Data Bring to Healthcare?

TMF Expert Workshop Analyzes the Potential and Need for Action for the Use of Big Data in Healthcare

11.09.2017

"To many, Big Data seems like a vague promise without a clear benefit for patient care being proven. It is therefore important to concretize together the potential and the need for action for the use of Big Data in healthcare." This was emphasized by Sebastian C. Semler, Managing Director of the TMF, during the opening of a TMF expert workshop, which is being conducted today and tomorrow on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).

What application areas for Big Data can be identified in the various fields of healthcare? How can Big Data-based offerings reach patients directly? How can Big Data contribute to higher quality of care? Experts from clinics, health services research, health insurance companies, and industry discussed these and other questions on the morning of the first day of the workshop. In the afternoon, the current framework conditions, as well as possible obstacles and risks in the future use of Big Data in healthcare, will be analyzed.

On the second day of the workshop, participants will jointly develop recommendations for action on the following topics:

Availability and use of data and metadata
Legal, institutional, and remuneration framework conditions
Data protection and ethical procedural principles
Data sharing and healthcare analytics in research and healthcare

The workshop's results will be summarized afterward in a key points paper and a publication. The workshop is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health.