Intelligent health data analytics: A convergence of artificial intelligence and big data

Healthcare is a living system that generates a significant volume of heterogeneous data. As healthcare systems are pivoting to value-based systems, intelligent and interactive analysis of health data is gaining significance for health system management, especially for resource optimization whilst improving care quality and health outcomes. Health data analytics is being influenced by new concepts and intelligent methods emanating from artificial intelligence and big data. In this article, we contextualize health data and health data analytics in terms of the emerging trends of artificial intelligence and big data. We examine the nature of health data using the big data criterion to understand “how big” is health data. Next, we explain the working of artificial intelligence–based data analytics methods and discuss “what insights” can be derived from a broad spectrum of health data analytics methods to improve health system management, health outcomes, knowledge discovery, and healthcare innovation.