By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    New Study Challenges Current Notions of Breast Cancer Biopsy Abnormalities
    February 5, 2014
    Health Insurers are Feeling the Pressure of Looming PPACA
    August 30, 2012
    demographics bar graph
    Demographics of CDHP Enrollees
    May 8, 2014
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Is SQL? The Basics of SQL for Healthcare Professionals
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Technology > What Is SQL? The Basics of SQL for Healthcare Professionals
Technology

What Is SQL? The Basics of SQL for Healthcare Professionals

Rehan
Rehan
Share
6 Min Read
Medical Practice Tips
SHARE

Data is an essential asset for all healthcare organizations. With the right information and the right tools, the quality of treatment can improve, along with the outcomes for patients.

Contents
  • What is SQL?
  • How does SQL work?
  • Why is SQL important for healthcare professionals?
  • Conclusion

One of the most popular ways to organize and analyze data in the healthcare space is with SQL. With SQL on your side, you can access and harness information from a database quickly and efficiently.

If you are new to the world of SQL and unaware of its advantages, here is a look at the basics and the benefits it brings to the table for healthcare professionals.

What is SQL?

SQL is an acronym that stands for ‘structured query language’ but is more usually pronounced as ‘sequel’ to help it roll off the tongue a little easier.

More Read

5 Life-Changing Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired
Big Data Analytics: Finding Healthcare in a New Frontier
How Technology Solutions Are Shaping The Future Of Home Healthcare
IT to Connect Patients More Closely to Medical Staff
Sports Tracker Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor Connects to Smart Phones to Record Your Personal Data

It is a programming language that was designed back in the mid-1970s and continues to be used to this day to orchestrate information within a database.

In particular, it is intended to work as part of a relational database, which is a platform that contains structured data.

As a programming language, SQL uses standard English words to form longer queries, allowing users to extract information contained within a database and manipulate it as required.

In many cases, the functions of SQL are hidden from the end-users by another layer of software. Additional solutions, such as SentryOne SQL Sentry, can help streamline the performance of a database by highlighting the causes of existing problems.

Of course, if you want to use a database that relies on SQL, you need to get to grips with the underlying language. Keep reading to find out how it functions and why it is relevant in a healthcare context.

How does SQL work?

Discussing the ins and outs of SQL can take a long time, so let’s focus on the aspect that will be most important for most users – queries.

As mentioned, queries are a form of a statement in SQL which allows you to ask a question of the database and receive an answer, according to the parameters you define.

Every SQL query has to start with the clause ‘SELECT,’ which you can then use to set the parameters for the particular columns of a table within a database you want to search. This could be the first or last name of a patient, for example.

The ‘FROM’ clause follows up on this, which pinpoints a table for the query to look within. Finally, there is the ‘WHERE’ clause, which lets you narrow down your search even further so that the query results only include entries that meet your needs. This could be the specific ID number of a given patient or a more broad category to include multiple entries on the table in the results.

Queries are just one part of how SQL works, but hopefully, you can now see that the language itself is comparatively simple. The syntax is logically constructed so that anyone can get a handle on it with little instruction and experience.

As you progress and learn, you will be able to use SQL to modify, delete and move data freely within a database, meaning that the potential applications of this language are almost limitless.

Why is SQL important for healthcare professionals?

SQL can provide many perks to healthcare professionals if used correctly, some of which we have touched on already.

Firstly, it makes storing large volumes of patient information a breeze and does a much better job than basic spreadsheet software in this respect. If you find that your Excel files are getting unwieldy and confusing, leaping an SQL-powered database could be ideal.

Secondly, it gives you the ability to drill down into the available data and harness it efficiently and effectively from day to day. This makes it easier to manage patients, see to their needs and improve their satisfaction levels.

Finally, it allows you to capture, model, and analyze information to improve and enhance the underlying processes within your organization. Tapping into data to extract insights would usually be impossible given the volumes involved. Still, SQL is just one of the tools that tear down the barriers to a better, brighter future for healthcare as a whole, from admin to diagnosis and beyond.

Furthermore, because you can express the analytical insights from your use of SQL using visualization tools, it is straightforward to convey the findings to others, regardless of their technical expertise.

Conclusion

SQL is a powerful solution to the data dilemmas that plenty of healthcare professionals face today. For smaller firms and large organizations alike, it offers a way to make the most of information rather than being overwhelmed by it.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

The Application of Google Glass in Sudden Cardiac Death

August 20, 2013

“Hot Chemotherapy” Gaining Steam

August 13, 2011

2012 Predictions for Health IT

January 3, 2012
health and fitness
Medical InnovationsTechnologyWellness

Data-Driven Exercise for the Disabled

August 17, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?