The Data Science of Healthcare, Medicine, and Public Health

Data analytics plays an increasingly pivotal role in how we go about managing our healthcare systems and personal health. This nontechnical course explores a variety of ways to apply data science to medicine and public health. Data scientist Barton Poulson discusses the ways that dramatically increased quantities of data—from genetic testing, genealogy, brain scans, and other sources—are changing the theory and practice of healthcare. As he looks over key data sources, Barton explores the different methods for analyzing this wealth of data, including machine learning and predictive modeling. He also details the extraordinary effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ways data is used in healthcare, and details how data science has changed the areas of patient care, self-care, and medical insurance. Barton also looks at some challenges the increased use of data presents, from ethical questions to logistical implementations, and how data science can help identify unanticipated problems.