Open access to data can break down barriers and empower patients | Healthcare Professionals Network | Guardian Professional

Without an analysis of search trends or buying habits, private enterprise as we know it wouldn't exist: Google, Amazon or the world's largest supermarket chains couldn't predict what we want. This is a well-known example of empowerment through the use of big data, albeit a bit one-sided. Nevertheless, the old maxim 'knowledge is power' could not be more appropriate for our public service leaders today. We live in a time when sophisticated activity monitors can be downloaded to our smartphones and their operating systems can track our every moment. It is therefore remarkable that our personal health data can't be accessed in the same way, or that technology has not been adapted for the needs of older people, or those with diabetes, heart disease or other long-term illnesses.  We have to place this debate into the context of the care.data issues currently going on and our take is that the health sector has a role to play in bringing the public on board. Behind the scenes, working with the NHS, there are several projects under way using patient data collaboratively and developing new technologies to tackle the impending demographic-driven crisis in care provision while at the same time preserving patient confidentiality ..."