Integrating the Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics Into Decision Support Models for Healthcare Management

This paper presents an analysis of the innovative management of healthcare systems through the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Analytics (BDA). By integrating the technology of IoT and the intelligence of BDA we derive some guidelines for service designs that amplify the personalized, co-creative nature of effective health care. Capturing and interpreting data about patients’ needs and desires, resource availabilities (doctors, nurses, medical equipment, medical supplies and others), treatment options and potential outcomes enables a smart and adaptive health management system for planning, scheduling and coordinating service activities in a jointly managed, co-creative system. This research formulates the key decision models that will support co-creative service systems that can take advantage of IoT and BDA. We identify the unique tradeoffs that these technologies present to the design and management of healthcare systems, specify the data requirements of the predictive models that are recommended, formulate the mathematical structure of the decision models and describe the changes to the management and culture of the healthcare service system that will be necessary.