Efficient data management in healthcare is becoming increasingly relevant, as it directly impacts the quality of services provided and decision-making, as well as providing cost savings and productivity gains. But another aspect cannot be overlooked: security and ethics in handling personal data.

Big Data in health has great potential to be an ally of the sector because it provides an immense variety of information and vast amounts of data. The concept is linked to the high volume of subsidies generated that require new technologies to be interpreted, such as electronic medical records, online exams and reports and personal activity monitoring applications. However, companies know that storing and organizing data is not enough, as the ethical issues involved demand rigorous attention.

Since it came into force in 2020, the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) has established criteria to ensure the security of patient information, requiring the adequacy of all healthcare establishments. Fines for institutions that fail to comply with the rules can reach R$ 50 million. Thus, LGPT has a direct impact on the use of Big Data.

The data collected can be used for business improvement as long as it brings benefits to the patient themselves. Patient information may only be stored with the express consent of the patient. Companies should have an internal employee responsible for this management, or hire a specialized service provider, but if the latter does not have a completely secure system and there is a breach of protocol, the contracting company will also be held liable. The LGPT also ensures that patients have the right to know what data is in the system and for what purpose.

Therefore, it is undeniable that security is one of the major challenges of Big Data. Health institutions that have an adequate IT infrastructure, invest in the training of their professionals, build a good warehouse (system that stores and connects large volumes of information), reinforce security through firewalls, access controls and implant a solid culture of data protection among their employees.