The power of big data in revolutionizing rehabilitation services – Insights from Dr. Jianan Li at ISPRM 2024

At the #ISPRM2024 congress in Sydney, Dr. Jianan Li, from the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and past president of ISPRM, delivered a compelling keynote lecture on “The Use of Big Data for the Development of Rehabilitation Services – The Individual Health Portraits.” In an insightful interview with Dr. Muhammad Tawab Khalil, Dr. Li elaborated on the transformative potential of big data and its application in creating digital health portraits for personalized rehabilitation services.

Understanding Big Data in Healthcare

Dr. Li began by addressing a common misconception about big data. “People always say big data is just data with a bigger amount… but big data should be meaningful data,” he emphasized. For Dr. Li, meaningful big data comes from human beings and is not just an aggregation of numbers but a collection of valuable health information that can drive better healthcare outcomes.

Digital Health Portraits: The Future of Personalized Care

One of the most exciting concepts Dr. Li discussed was the creation of digital health portraits. These portraits are constructed using sensors that collect vital signs, mental status, behavioral data, and biomarkers from individuals. This information is then analyzed by artificial intelligence to provide real-time insights to physicians and patients. “This is going to be a kind of a revolution in the future for healthcare,” Dr. Li predicted, envisioning a world where personalized health indexes guide rehabilitation and medical decisions.

Affordability and Accessibility

Despite the advanced technology involved, Dr. Li reassured that these innovations could be highly affordable. He described the sensors as small, lightweight devices, similar to a Fitbit, costing as little as $20 to $30. “Much cheaper than we can imagine,” he remarked, highlighting that even lower-middle-income countries could implement this technology within their healthcare systems.

A Revolution in Rehabilitation

Dr. Li’s vision for the future of rehabilitation is one where big data plays a central role in personalizing and improving patient care. The potential for widespread adoption of these cost-effective technologies could lead to significant advancements in global health, making sophisticated rehabilitation tools accessible to millions around the world.

Dr. Li’s insights at #ISPRM2024 underline the critical role that big data will play in the future of healthcare, particularly in rehabilitation services. As the technology continues to evolve, the creation of digital health portraits may soon become a standard practice, revolutionizing how we approach patient care.