In this episode, Dr. Fabrice Mowbray joins the Spartan Nurse Podcast to break down how big data and predictive analytics are transforming healthcare. Mowbray shares how data can help predict patient needs, improve clinical decisions, and guide healthcare policy. He explains the difference between machine learning and traditional models, why nurses are key to building meaningful data tools, and how Michigan State University’s College of Nursing is leading the way in training the next generation of data-driven clinicians.

Glossary

Black Box
Any complex piece of equipment, typically a unit in an electronic system, with contents that are mysterious to the user.

Calibration
Adjusting a tool or model so it gives accurate and reliable results.

Compliance
Following rules or laws, especially in healthcare or safety.

Consultation
A meeting to get advice or share information, often with a professional like a doctor.

Contextual
Dependent on the situation or setting something happens in.

Delineate
To clearly show or describe something, like drawing boundaries or explaining steps.

Diagnostics
Tests or tools used to find out what is wrong with someone’s health.

Discrimination (in data/modeling)
How well a model tells the difference between different groups or outcomes (not related to unfair treatment in this context).

Dissemination
The act of sharing or spreading information widely.

Doctorate (PhD)
The highest degree you can earn in school. People with a PhD have studied a subject deeply and done original research.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
A digital version of a patient’s medical chart that doctors and nurses use to track health information.

Emergency Department (ED)
A hospital facility that provides immediate, unscheduled outpatient care for patients with serious medical conditions requiring prompt attention.

Emergency Room (ER)
Another term for an emergency department.

Encryption
A way to protect information by changing it into a code that only authorized people can read.

Epidemiology
The study of the distribution, causes, and control of diseases and other health-related states or events in populations.

Generalizable
Able to apply to many people or situations, not just the ones studied.

Geriatric
Related to the health and care of older adults.

Hyper-parameters
Settings or choices that guide how a machine learning model works, like how fast it learns.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
A special hospital area for very sick patients who need constant care and monitoring.

Neonatal
Related to the care of newborn babies, especially those who are sick or born early.

Prognosis
A prediction about what is likely to happen with a person’s health.

Registered Nurse (RN)
A licensed healthcare professional who gives medicine, helps patients, and works closely with doctors to provide care.

Regression (in statistics)
A way to find relationships between things, like how one factor might affect another.

Sepsis
A life-threatening condition that occurs when the body's response to an infection damages vital organs.

Socioeconomic
Related to a person’s income, education, and s

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If you have a question for our hosts or a prospective guest, please message us at: MCOM.nursing@msu.edu