outbreak

There are myriad things that we have yet to explore to uncover the benefits of technology in health.

One of them is how we can achieve an interconnected and efficient multiagency disaster and crisis preparation and response mechanism.

Health is integral to any disaster response, and so the first step would be to achieve an interconnected health system. By this I mean a system by which both private- and public-sector health interests can have a symbiotic relationship when it comes to patient care.

I have been paying close attention to the reports of the effects of the flu season in the United States, understanding that although we may not get the figures locally as steadfastly as the US reports them, we generally face similar issues during this period.

The flu season normally begins in October and goes until about March, so we are now in the middle of it, and the United States Centre for Disease Control reported that it hasn't even peaked yet despite reports of at least 30 children dead and many adults affected.

In this digital tech-centric world, data is king and it is time we, as a country, start mining data to underpin critical decisions. 

At its most basic, this is described as analysing a large amount of data to determine patterns and trends that may exist, with a view to finding solutions, forecasting and predicting future possibilities. 

Data mining can be one of the most profound tools used in any industry that seeks to understand clients and customers’ needs, wants, dislikes and any other pattern that they may establish.