However, more precisely used, data mining refers to a sophisticated analysis tool that automatically discovers patterns among data in a data store. Data mining is an advanced form of decision support. Unlike passive query tools, the data mining analysis tool does not require the user to pose individual specific questions to the database. Instead, this tool is programmed to look for and extract patterns, trends, and rules. True data mining is currently used in the business community for marketing and predictive analysis (Stair & Reynolds, 2003). This
analytical data mining is, however, not currently widespread in the health care
community.