Data collection and assessment of this information is crucial for businesses in any sector. While some may assume that data is limited to use for retailers or social media websites, the truth is there is a lot that data can do to make progress in curing society’s ails. Master data management is a key part of research that drives the quest for cures and ways to treat medical conditions. For example, suffering a stroke can be a horrifying time for a patient and their loved ones, but data is working daily to improve treatment development for this condition.
Understanding Data Management
Master data management (MDM) solutions are business-led programs that ensure consistent and accurate shared data across an organization, but what is an MDM solution? Organizations today operate a number of different systems across different platforms that contain all sorts of different important data sources. This key organizational data asset is part of a group effort to avoid any duplication of data, which can create a disjointed view of what a business is seeking to accomplish.
In the health care and wellness industry, master data management is used in various capacities from expediting health insurance claims to forwarding research for better treatment for medical conditions. For example, strides have been made in treating stroke patients, thanks in part to incredible scientific breakthroughs. However, scientists are made aware of these breakthroughs thanks to databases that assess past studies to forward progress. This has helped doctors recognize the benefit of daily aspirin in reducing the risk of a major stroke while also having an idea of the timeline to help a patient following a medical emergency.
Discovering Insights
Master data management platforms allow for companies to evaluate their data from an analytical, operational, and governance standpoint. This means having the ability to oversee all of your entities, the inner workings and customer interactions with those entities, and the regulatory procedures that come with monitoring your master data. It’s through this approach that business users are able to uncover information and trends that they may not have realized were right at their fingertips before.
In the medical background, professionals have been able to discover the main stroke symptoms that are warning signs for patients to be aware of for the main types of stroke. For example, an ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Trouble walking, facial paralysis, and sudden numbness are common symptoms of this type of stroke, but that has only been discovered thanks to research that has linked up across multiple platforms in a master data management system to correlate across the medical history of patients.
Expediting Treatment Plans and Approaches
Master data management not only improves insights and discovers trends but allows for a steady flow of information to end-users. For example, in a hospital setting, having immediate access to a patient’s medical history and response to treatment is key in figuring out the next approach. This is especially true for treating the part of your brain that may be at risk during different types of stroke. An understanding of treatment options, compared to looking at physical exams and past issues that required immediate medical attention, is providing a better assessment for medical professionals.
Master data management is also being used by drug manufacturers and medical experts to learn new ways to handle the early treatment of hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when blood from an artery suddenly begins bleeding into the brain. This master data can also inform decisions on better treatment after a stroke, with new strides being made in physical therapy and knowledge regarding lifestyle changes to put stroke patients and their family members in the best place possible after a medical episode.