The evolution of health care in a data-rich environment

This chapter examines how large and diverse health data sets are being used to improve population health and support patient-centred care, health system management, and human health research. Among the aspects considered are electronic health records, smart models of care, the role of social media and crowdsourcing. The chapter also looks at barriers that will need to be overcome to pave the way for widespread data-driven innovation (DDI) in the health sector, examining issues raised by the use of personal health data not discussed in previous chapters. It concludes with a list of success factors that will enable governments to provide the leadership needed to progress further toward data-driven health research and care.