On Monday morning, the Nashville Health Care Council hosted Dwayne Spradlin, chief executive officer of the Health Data Consortium, for a discussion on the potential for health data to drive innovations that could vastly improve health care in the United States and across the world.
Spradlin pointed out that the U.S. has generated more data in the last three years than in the entirety of humanity’s existence. Sensor technology, mobile devices and smartphones make accumulating information easy. However, putting consumer data to work means finding a way to integrate data and information into a useful format.
“Data isn’t about the past, it’s about how we make better decisions in the future,” said Spradlin. “Nashville is a powerhouse in the health care industry with an impressive history. By properly using data, we can improve health care, enhance patient experiences and reduce the cost of health care for all Americans.”
Spradlin described the interest in capitalizing on health data as a full-blown “movement” and encouraged the audience to explore the data sets being made available by the government.
The Health Data Consortium sponsors DataPalooza in Washington, D.C. each year, a forum featuring the most innovative and effective uses of health data by companies, startups, academics, government agencies and individuals.