I have written about data and research in recent posts. Readers generally understand about data that is in their electronic medical record (EMR), but several readers have asked me about my interest in patient centered outcome research (PCOR). How does this affect me? Why your interest? Let me explain: The field of knowledge management speaks of DIKW Hierarchy (Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom). For our purposes Data are individual observations, sensations, or facts about our health – temperature, pain level, calories, etc. Information adds context and makes some sense of the data: getting warmer, less pain, eating more. More useful than data. Knowledge takes information further: lower fever + less pain + eating more = feeling better. Wisdom is the so what? Leads to doing the right thing. Data, information, knowledge, wisdom lead to Action. You’ve heard me write about Just-In-Time Decisions. I care about having the information and knowledge to make decisions about our health. Data is collected and reported about us by us and by others either directly or through technology. Our health team (patients, caregivers, clinicians) takes that data and turns it into information and sometimes knowledge. Research helps turn data about many people in similar situations into information and knowledge. Only patients and their caregivers step on to wisdom and action. So research can help us get to wisdom and action if:
- it asks the questions patients and their caregivers ask about best health,
- patients and their caregivers have access to the research showing what has worked and what hasn’t, and
- it helps patients and their caregivers make decisions leading to action in their best health journey.
So, I follow and advocate for patients and their caregivers in the research world as I am able. I write about it to keep you informed and to stay grounded in what is important about research. You, my readers, inform my knowledge and wisdom, and guide my action. Thanks. Keeps it up.
Great! There is a Narrative Medicine conference in NYC in Feb. I wonder if he’ll be there? Let me know if you are going.
Danny, I love what you are doing here-fostering a collaborative approach to health care where the patient plays a key role in the decisions about care. Recently I have become interested in Narrative Medicine which claims that health care providers need to have “narrative competence- defined as the ability to acknowledge, absorb, interpret and act on the stories stories and plights of others.” This hcp-patient collaboration becomes the spiritual core of healing. When I read your posts, I am reminded of this. What do you think?
I’ve been introduced via email to Deepu Gowda the Director of Narrative Medicine at Columbia. Hopefully, I’ll meet him