Big data is a massive volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that is too large to be processed using traditional software and database techniques. Big data is important to health care because huge amounts of data are being generated through electronic health records, wearables, public health departments, clinical studies and other sources. Collectively, this information could be used to improve disease prevention and treatment. Tech companies are developing platforms to harness this data and make it actionable to health care providers and health officials.
