Data Analytics Advances for SA Health Sector
Data to Decisions CRC (D2D CRC) has recently established a Health Analytics program transferring knowledge and expertise developed in Big Data R&D for national security to the health industry.
The 18-month program, supported by the South Australian Government, is aimed at improving patient outcomes in the South Australian health sector.
After in-depth consultation with numerous medical professionals, four proof of concepts have been developed. The four proof of concepts were selected from numerous candidate projects by the program’s project advisory committee.
Linking Mental Health Data – by linking data from several sources and analysing behavioural patterns over time, mental health readmissions can be predicted and measures can be put in place to reduce them, potentially leading to huge savings for the health sector. This project is being conducted in collaboration with Flinders University
Pandemic Outbreak Modelling – by combining statistical models, several data sources and social media, pandemic outbreaks can be closely monitored and predictions can be made to aid in distributing vaccinations, preparing hospitals and detecting new strains of disease. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Adelaide.
Reducing Complications in Cardiac Procedures – with the application of machine learning to datasets from several cardiac procedures, risk factors can be identified leading to improvements in patient outcomes. This project is being conducted in collaboration with Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Emergency Waiting Times Application – an application designed to provide useful information in times of an emergency, for example, nearest hospital, current waiting times and other information that will give patients the choice and potentially reduce emergency department burden.
The D2D CRC Health Analytics program is a giant stepping stone for South Australia and in particular its capabilities in applying Big Data solutions to health care.
“It’s very exciting to be leading these cutting edge projects. Health care analytics could potentially save the government millions of dollars each year which will be extremely beneficial to the health care sector.” said D2D CRC Health Analytics Program Lead, Dennis Horton.
The program is also critical in improving patient outcomes.
“These big data projects present great opportunities to improve healthcare in South Australia” said SA Health’s Chief Medical Officer Paddy Phillips. “We want to be able to gain a reputation here in South Australia for leading the way in the application of Big Data techniques in the Health Industry.”
The projects will be undertaken with Flinders University, University of Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the D2D CRC Beat the News team.
Media contact
Voula Dimitrakopoulos
Marketing and Communications Officer
Phone: +61-8-8302 8982
Email: voula.dimitrakopoulos@d2dcrc.com.au