Is it possible to automatically predict the evolution of a patient in order to act quickly and efficiently? In recent decades, advances in technology have impacted several areas of veterinary medicine. One of these is big data in veterinary healthcare. It is fairly new, but promises a profound revolution in the way veterinarians work.
What Is Big Data in Veterinary Health
Big data consists of analysing a large volume of data that allows us to formulate predictions based on detected patterns. This data can be put to use thanks to new interconnected digital devices (such as wearables) which monitor a pet’s health wirelessly. One example of this is the Dinbeat Uno multiparametric harness).
Big data is closely related to the Internet of Things, which is capable of interconnecting some of our everyday objects. Faced with such a huge amount of data, it is necessary to have tools that allow us to analyse the data automatically, since manually it would be a practically impossible task to execute.
How does this relate to the veterinary sector? In short, the use of big data in animal health makes it possible to improve predictions of the development of a disease and reduce the risks that the patient may face. Today, this technology is already helping to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of our pets.
Challenges of Big Data
However, this new approach to veterinary medicine is fraught with challenges for both developers and veterinary professionals.
First of all, the quality of the data must be considered. If there is no control of the processed data, large amounts can actually lead to low reliability of the results. Therefore, it is necessary to create a mechanism that ensures that the data is being gathered correctly. In other words, one of the main challenges in the future will be the care and maintenance of databases.
Another challenge is the transformation of this data into smart data, i.e., that it can reach the point of making real-time predictions. However, an improvement in the technology will have to occur in order to achieve these advances.
So what challenges lie ahead for veterinary professionals? If technology continues to increase its presence in veterinary clinics, veterinarians may need to understand the basics of database management and the ABCs of programming language. They won’t need to be experts in this topic, but understanding the most relevant points of this revolution will allow professionals to be at the forefront of developments.
Finally, the remaining challenge is the newness of this technology. Big data has only recently begun gaining relevance in the field of health and, more specifically, in veterinary medicine. Especially because of the way it works, it will be necessary to collect more data to be able to expand the network and create more accurate predictions.
What Is the Purpose of Big Data in Veterinary Health?
It is important to remember that the ultimate goal of big data in veterinary clinics is to improve the overall practice. Thanks to the use of big data, we can look forward to the following improvements:
- Greater ease in a veterinarian’s work, since they will have more information to be able to determine their diagnoses.
- A significant improvement in the monitoring of the health status of patients.
- The possibility of being able to predict and prevent complications in a personalised way for each patient.
Although it may seem that this type of technology will only be useful for large clinics or hospitals, this is not the case. The use of intelligent devices and data analysis will be especially helpful in small and medium-sized veterinary clinics, where it is often not possible to have a large amount of resources at one’s disposal. In fact, taking technology into account can lighten much of the veterinarian’s workload, reduce clinic costs and improve the services offered to patients.
We hope that this article has helped you get a clearer vision of the challenges and usefulness of big data in veterinary healthcare for the clinics of the future. Do you want to know more about the new trends in technology in the veterinary field? Download our ebook “11 veterinary trends you should adopt in 2022”.
