Big Data implications for healthcare systems

In 2015, Wienhofena et al. stated that “Big Data is a collection of large data sets with a great diversity of types so that it becomes difficult to process by using state-of-the-art data processing approaches or traditional data processing platforms” (pag. 1). Recognizing the validity of this definition and its implications for all social, economic, and environmental domains, it is possible affirm that Big Data can be considered a disruptive change in the way in which individuals, organisations and whole ecosystems perceive the world and react to their stimuli and dynamics (Chai and Shih, 2017; Swan, 2013). Following these reflections, the paper focuses the attention on the healthcare domain with the aim to: 1] provide a general overview of the key concepts on which Big Data are based in the light of health management perspectives and 2] trace possible advancements in knowledge for the management of Big Data in the healthcare domain. Adopting a systems view, a multiple case studies based on four different scenarios is proposed as approach for investigating the contribution of Big Data in increasing the effectiveness of healthcare management.