How Data Science Is Transforming Health Care

In the early days of the 20th century, department store magnate John
Wanamaker famously said, "I know that half of my advertising doesn't
work. The problem is that I don't know which half." That remained
basically true until Google transformed advertising with AdSense based
on new uses of data and analysis. The same might be said about health
care and it's poised to go through a similar transformation as new
tools, techniques, and data sources come on line. Soon we'll make
policy and resource decisions based on much better understanding of
what leads to the best outcomes, and we'll make medical decisions
based on a patient's specific biology. The result will be better
health at less cost.


This paper explores how data analysis will help us structure the
business of health care more effectively around outcomes, and how it
will transform the practice of medicine by personalizing for each
specific patient.