The Big Data: related concepts and some applications in pediatrics

Abstract

Medical technology advances, the Electronic Health Record (EHR), and the complex production of biomolecular data are generating large volumes of information, in various formats and from multiple sources, which are known as “Big Data”. The integrated analysis of these data has opened up a wide possibility to explore answers related to health problems. In pediatrics, there has been an increase in the studies on Big Data, or the computer tools use that have been developed to analyze these data. The purposes of those studies have been diverse, for example, for earlier detection and prevention of a wide range of medical conditions, improvement of diagnoses, to specify treatments or anticipate the outcome of some pathology and so on. For this reason, this contribution aims to review the main concepts involved in the analysis of Big Data or its related computer technologies, as well as to examine their current applications, potentialities, and limitations. This study was carried out based on a non-systematic bibliographical review, focused on the field of pediatrics. In the selection of application examples, it was considered that they were primary sources, published in the last five years and with child and youth populations.