A SWOT analysis of big data in healthcare

Abstract

Nowadays, organizations in the most distinct sectors of activities, are generating enormous amounts of data, at high velocity and high variety. This phenomenon dictated a growing technological development, called big data, which is already recognized as one of the most important areas of the future of information. Due to this fact, organizations have been looking for new solutions to improve their services and take advantage of these new technologies. The reality in the healthcare industry is similar to the phenomenon described above. It is a sector where large amounts of data have been stored digitally and with enormous benefits from these new technologies. Despite this, there are very few health-related organizations making investments in big data and taking advantage of it. This article will address a SWOT analysis, more specifically the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of big data in healthcare in order to help organizations to evaluate its potential.