Health & Medical

Informatics
Review Article

Raghupathi and Raghupathi, J Health Med Informat 2013, 4:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7420.1000132

Open Access

An Overview of Health Analytics
Wullianallur Raghupathi1* and Viju Raghupathi2
1 2

Graduate School of Business, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA Finance and business management, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Abstract
Objectives: We examine the emerging health analytics field by describing the different health analytics and providing examples of various applications. Methods: The paper discusses different definitions of health analytics, describes the four stages of health analytics, its architectural framework, development methodology, and examples in public health. Results: The paper provides a broad overview of health analytics for researchers and practitioners. Conclusions: Health analytics is rapidly emerging as a key and distinct application of health information technology. The key objective of health analytics is to gain insight for making informed healthcare decisions.

Keywords: Data warehousing; ETL; Descriptive analytics; Discovery Introduction

analytics; Health analytics; Informed decision; Insight; Predictive analytics; Prescriptive analytics

management, and preventive care. In one scenario, for example, the use of health analytics technologies can ensure that emergency room doctors are briefed and ready to treat patients prior to their arrival by ambulance. Diagnostic and current health data can be downloaded by hospital staff from a wide variety of systems to develop a patient profile that includes past illnesses, chronic conditions, allergies, blood and tissue typing. With this information as well as a constant stream of vital sign data fed directly by paramedics en route to the hospital, receiving doctors can make better