Which type of analysis predicts future trends in health outcomes?

Predictive analysis is focused on forecasting future trends and outcomes based on historical data and statistical algorithms. It uses various statistical techniques and machine learning to identify patterns that can be used to predict what might happen in the future concerning health outcomes. This type of analysis is invaluable in health management as it can help organizations anticipate changes in patient populations, disease outbreaks, and other critical factors affecting public health.

Descriptive analysis, in contrast, is primarily concerned with summarizing and interpreting historical data. It provides insights into what has already happened but does not involve forecasting future events. Similarly, prescriptive analysis goes a step further by recommending actions based on predicted outcomes but does not predict those outcomes itself. Diagnostic analysis looks backward to understand why something happened, which is essential for identifying trends and issues but not for predicting future events. Thus, predictive analysis is the clear choice for understanding likely future trends in health outcomes.