Will the next big medical discovery come from a clinical trial, a laboratory study or a database search? Today, health systems and insurers have access to a mountain of data on millions of Americans: the medications they take, their medical history and even, in some cases, their genetics, as well as a emerging set of mobile health data. Using “big data” techniques, doctors and researchers are already leveraging this data to provide better care and better understand the kinds of hyper-specific questions that clinical trials and observational studies struggle to answer. This approach promises major, rapid and highly personalized discoveries. At the same time, with the specter of cyberattacks and hacks looming, the need for robust privacy protection has never been greater. In this forum, health data and privacy experts will discuss the potential for future discoveries, practical steps to enable progress, and how information can be secured.

Part of the Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn Forums, this event was presented in conjunction with HuffPost on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.

Watch the entire series at ForumHSPH.org.

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