“Big Data” in the Intensive Care Unit. Closing the Data Loop

Closing the Data LoopThe data generated in the process of medical care has historically not just been underused, it has been wasted.This was due in part to the difficulty of accessing, organizing, and using data entered on paper charts, but notable variability in clinical documentation methods and quality made the problem even more challenging.In the absence of a practical way to systematically capture, analyze, and integrate the information contained in the massive amount of data generated during patient care, medicine has remained a highly empirical process in which the disconnected application of individual experiences and subjective preferences continues to thwart continuous improvement and consistent delivery of best practices to all patients.