Big data analytics (BDA) in digital health is critical for gaining the knowledge needed to make decisions, with Asia at the forefront of utilising this technology for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review aims to study how BDA was incorporated into digital health in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in six selected Asian countries, discuss its advantages and barriers and recommend measures to improve its adoption. A narrative review was conducted. Online databases were searched to identify all relevant literature on the roles of BDA in digital health for COVID-19 preventive and control measures. The findings showed that these countries had used BDA for contact tracing, quarantine compliance, outbreak prediction, supply rationing, movement control, information update, and symptom monitoring. Compared to conventional approaches, BDA in digital health plays a more efficient role in preventing and controlling COVID-19. It may inspire other countries to adopt this technology in managing the pandemic.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective study designed to assess interobserver agreement. PURPOSE: To investigate if interobserver agreement using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of lumbar spinal canal stenosis and root compression can be improved upon combination with magnetic resonance myelography (MRM). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The interpretation of lumbar spinal MRI, which is the imaging modality of choice, often has a significant influence on the diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. However, using MRI alone, substantial interobserver variability has been reported in the evaluation of lumbar spinal canal stenosis and nerve root compression. METHODS: Hardcopies of 30 lumbar spinal MRI (containing a total of 150 disk levels) as well as MRM films were separately reviewed by two radiologists and a neurosurgeon. At each intervertebral disk, the observers were asked to evaluate the thecal sac for the presence and degree of spinal stenoses (mild, moderate, or severe) and presence of root canal compression. Interobserver agreement was measured using weighted kappa statistics. RESULTS: Regarding lumbar spinal canal stenosis, interobserver agreement between the two radiologists was moderate (kappa, 0.4) for MRI and good (kappa, 0.6) for combination with MRM. However, the agreement between the radiologist and neurosurgeon remained fair for MRI alone or in combination with MRM (kappa, 0.38 and 033, respectively). In the evaluation of nerve root compression, interobserver agreement between the radiologists improved from moderate (kappa, 0.57) for MRI to good (kappa, 0.73) after combination with MRM; moderate agreement between the radiologist and neurosurgeon was noted for both MRI alone and after combination with MRM (kappa, 0.58 and 0.56, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Interobserver agreement in the evaluation of lumbar spinal canal stenosis and root compression between the radiologists improved when MRM was combined with MRI, relative to MRI alone.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Diagnosis ; Intervertebral Disc ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbosacral Region ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myelography* ; Neurosurgeons ; Observer Variation ; Radiculopathy ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal* ; Spinal Stenosis