Professor Ran Blitzer is also using Big Data to predict and treat chronic illnesses, right here in Israel. He is the head of Clalit Health Service’s General Institute for Research, which utilizes databases to improve patients’ health. In 2014 the World Health Organization declared the Institute a center for global excellence. Take kidney disease, for example: Professor Blitzer’s team has created a predictive model that identifies within a homogeneous group (in terms of kidney function) who will, and who will not be prone to contract the disease. With these predictions, doctors can then adapt treatment, which, at this early stage does not have to be dialysis. Generally, the treatment is centered around nutritional change and a change in drug therapy.