Since the COVID-19 crisis began, there has been an abundance of discussion around how technology can help. Developing apps to track the spread of the virus, using 3D printers to make PPE for those on the front line, and even relying on artificial intelligence to uncover a potential cure. We have found plenty of new and unexpected ways for technology to alleviate pressure and restore a sense of normality.
As incredible as these use cases are, it’s even more impressive to think about what lies at the heart of each of them – data. While we may not always see exactly how data is being used, it is what allows these technologies to exist. Only powered by data can these innovations make such a meaningful difference during such a formidable time. This had quickly led to the virtualisation and integration of data playing a key role in the fight against COVID-19.
The disparate data dilemma
However, despite its many benefits, there is still a huge problem when it comes to the management and collection of data. With information often residing in multiple different sources – whether on premise, in cloud environments, or in much larger data lakes – it is an ongoing challenge for those in the healthcare industry to know exactly what data is being stored, and where.
This presents even more of an issue when various departments are involved; even those making use of the same data may have copied it in a certain way that is custom to their staff and needs. Not only does this data disparity cause issues when it comes to initially locating information, it also acts as an agility blocker.
In hospitals, for example, patient data is spread across different systems and departments including ERMs, pharmacy systems and emergency department computers. In health agencies, geographical data pertaining to where the COVID-19 outbreak is worse, where it is starting, and where workers might be able to contain the disease in terms of the number of hospitals, beds, and trained healthcare workers, is scattered across numerous government departments. Health workers are left with a lack of access to critical insights and are therefore unable to make important decisions based on them.
Against the clock
In order for us to have any hope in successfully fighting the virus, those on the front line must have an easy avenue to data. Information needs to be readily available, as well as being delivered quickly and effectively in order to provide clarity in the midst of uncertainty. While problematic at the best of times, during a global pandemic, failure to arm healthcare professionals with these insights could mean the difference between life and death.
Even when data is ‘stitched’ together into an integrated view, it is of no use if it does not arrive in time. In order to quickly administer meaningful care, it is critical that hospital staff are aware of when a patient checks into A&E, their symptoms, previous medical history, and any allergies to food or medication. It is impossible for all of this information to be delivered swiftly when it is coming from different data sources and being accessed through a variety of systems.
That’s where data virtualisation comes in, bringing together data from separate, unrelated sources in near real time. By creating one single location for data to reside, the unified platform ensures that information – no matter where it is stored – is fully represented in the form of a logical data lake, warehouse or data mart.
Adding value behind the scenes
As well as benefitting from the end result itself, the whole process of data virtualisation also holds critical value. By abstracting underlying source complexities, users can have seamless access to information, while IT departments can continue making changes to underlying systems. Only through creating such a logical architecture can healthcare workers access data almost immediately, without the need to replicate information. Freeing up this additional time allows staff to take back control and continue working to fight the virus.
Many healthcare and biopharma companies are already leveraging data virtualisation to consolidate and accelerate data access. National Services Scotland (NSS), which delivers healthcare-related services as a national board of Scotland’s broader National Health Service (NHS), relies on data virtualisation to enable a variety of new functionality including an enhanced cancer intelligence platform and a person’s-at-risk dataset, for use by local authorities and government agencies in times of emergency, as well as a national radiology dashboard.
Today, healthcare agencies can use data virtualisation to assemble real-time information from hospitals about the number of COVID-19 diagnoses and visualise concentration maps within business intelligence tools, to determine the most effective containment logistics. While data alone is unlikely to be the single silver bullet we are all hoping for to abolish COVID-19, its wider influence is becoming all the more significant. Data virtualisation will do its part in helping control the disease, providing people with the right information, at the right time.
By Alberto Pan, Chief Technical Officer, Denodo