[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/11\/big-data-heart-transplants-nxt\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/11\/big-data-heart-transplants-nxt\/","headline":"Using Big Data to Help Heart Transplant Candidates","name":"Using Big Data to Help Heart Transplant Candidates","description":"Scientists at UPMC\u2019s Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute are pushing the envelope with a new tool: Big Data. Learn what this means for those in critical need of heart transplant. ","datePublished":"2018-11-12","dateModified":"2023-02-01","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIG_DATA_TRANSPLANT2_NEXT5b15d.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BIG_DATA_TRANSPLANT2_NEXT5b15d.jpg","height":540,"width":1920},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/11\/big-data-heart-transplants-nxt\/","about":["Heart and Vascular Health","Transplant"],"wordCount":558,"articleBody":"Advances in data mining may find\u00a0potential\u00a0candidates earlier so they get the right care at the right time.\u00a0Transplant science has made great strides since it was pioneered at a handful of medical centers in the 1980s, including UPMC. Today, new protocols and state-of-the-art\u00a0immunosuppression therapies are expanding the donor pool, enabling hospitals worldwide to routinely perform operations that were impossible just a short time ago.But barriers remain, particularly in an environment of constant donor shortages. One critical challenge is to extend the effectiveness of transplants through the early identification of candidates who ultimately will need a transplant, so their health may be properly managed in order to achieve the most successful outcome possible.Using High Tech Tools to Find Transplant CandidatesScientists at\u00a0UPMC\u2019s Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute\u00a0are pushing the envelope on this front with a new tool: Big Data \u2014 the same technology that industries use to run supply chains and find new customers. In the case of heart transplantation, the analysis is based on medical factors, symptoms, doctor visits, and lifestyle choices.UPMC researchers are leading the efforts to explore their network of patients and find new ways to bring heart transplant candidates into the treatment process earlier. Their goal is to identify\u00a0patients in the hospital system\u00a0who\u00a0would benefit from referral for advanced\u00a0heart failure management,\u00a0including evaluation for transplant,\u00a0in the hopes of\u00a0supporting and caring for them when they\u2019re\u00a0at a higher level of health.The Right Treatment at the Right TimeWhy is it important to reach and treat patients earlier? Doctors say UPMC\u2019s program tends to see a relatively higher proportion of acute end-stage heart failure patients, and many have already experienced a gradual decline in health before they are referred to the heart transplant team. Using medical records to identify them before they reach that condition can help doctors define a strategy that prepares them better, introduces\u00a0them to UPMC\u2019s heart failure experts earlier, and maintains them on their health path for a longer time before they need a transplant.Better Timing, Potentially Better OutcomesThe team is using a software application developed at UPMC to comb the electronic medical records (EMR) of potential recipients in the UPMC system, applying a variety of filters that include heart function, pacemaker implantation, medications, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, and other factors that can be used to predict the need for transplantation. After it\u2019s refined, doctors believe that once certain criteria is met, a system could be in place which will enable them to flag\u00a0their patient\u2019s\u00a0primary cardiologist, designated family member, UPMC, or other appropriate sources to advise\u00a0them\u00a0that it\u2019s now time to schedule an appointment.A Natural FitAdvanced data analysis for transplantation is a natural fit for UPMC, where organ transplantation first made great strides through the pioneering research of Thomas E. Starzl, MD in the 1980s. UPMC is one of a handful of hospitals with the resources and experience to perform all types of\u00a0transplants, including high-risk operations, plus the data mining capabilities to reach new recipients. Doctors say the goal is to never have to tell someone who needs a transplant, \u201cYou\u2019re too sick for us to help you.\u201dEditor's Note: This article was originally published on November 12, 2018, and was last reviewed on April 8, 2022."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"11","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/11\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Using Big Data to Help Heart Transplant Candidates","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/11\/big-data-heart-transplants-nxt\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]