As regular readers of HealthcareAnalytics.info will know, I am both a proponent and user of R (http://www.r-project.org/), the open-source software environment for statistical computing and graphics. As I’ve written about previously, R is a powerful language that is very useful for healthcare analytics, and I use R when I have a job that no other package will do. Just a few of the ways I’ve used R in my work include:
- visualization of complex data (i.e., comparing data across seven Emergency Departments)
- GIS (geographical information system) analysis (i.e.,mapping out hospital catchment areas),
- machine learning (including pattern classification and predictive analytics)
I was excited to learn in an article on R-bloggers that the next major release of R (version 3) is expected later this year, possibly around the April 1, 2013 time-frame. The article states that:
“Version 3.0.0 is scheduled for April 1 this year, and reflects not a major departure from the current 2.15 version, but instead recognizes the establishment of major functionality introduced during the 2.x series”
I am looking forward to learning more about what the new release of R will offer, and writing about how R can even further advance the practice of healthcare analytics.
PS: If you’re interested in learning more about R, or keeping up with the latest developments, R-bloggers.com is an outstanding resource that I would highly recommend.
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