The IFoA’s Data Availability in Health and Care Working Party shares its recent outputs and exciting developments to come.
Greetings, fellow actuaries and data enthusiasts! I am thrilled to share exciting developments from the forefront of our research endeavours, where I have the distinct honour of chairing a dynamic research group focused on the critical realm of data availability.
As we embarked on this journey, our initial term of reference was clear - to explore the vast landscape of data, seeking to understand, harness, and leverage its potential to elevate actuarial insights. In a world increasingly shaped by data, our mission is to empower actuaries with the resources they need to navigate this intricate terrain successfully.
One of the key challenges we faced was to identify and catalogue a diverse range of data sources, ensuring that our fellow professionals have access to a comprehensive reservoir of information. Our collective efforts have laid the foundation for future exploration and innovation in the field.
Our journey led us to uncover an array of data sources that actuarial professionals can tap into to enrich their analyses and predictions. Included in the sources are Government, Healthcare Specialists, and open data platforms, detailing links, brief descriptions, and how they could be used.
Not all data treasures may align with your specific mission. Actuarial success relies on the precision and relevance of the information at hand. Before diving into the depths of a dataset, assess its applicability to your unique objectives. A meticulous evaluation ensures that the data you harness contributes meaningfully to your actuarial insights.
The journey into data availability is an ongoing expedition, and I invite you all to join us in shaping the future of actuarial science through the lens of data providing feedback and further sources to grow the catalogue.
In the coming months, we aim to expand our catalogue, embracing emerging technologies and innovative data sources that will enhance our collective knowledge. Together, we will continue to explore, learn, and adapt the catalogue, ensuring that we have the most recent and relevant data sources available.
To access the complete catalogue of data sources compiled by our research group, please visit the IFoA's Virtual Learning Environment. May this collection be a beacon guiding you through the seas of actuarial insight, propelling our profession to new heights!
