"Moving knowledge from its source"
The Information Revoloution has resulted in a nearly infinite amount of information that can be accessed and applied to any particular problem. How is a medical provider supposed to sift through the endless streams of statistics, case studies, results, etc. and decide which information is most applicable to a particular patient's case?
According to Dr. Larry Weed, the current state of medical infrastructure leads to "knowledge being moved from its source." Dr. Weed is an innovator in the field of medical informatics, and has been advocating for knowledge/problem couplers for many years. Essentially, a coupler matches specific patient information with a vast store of medical literature to produce information that could assist in making diagnoses or rendering treatments. Dr. Weed's company, PKC, has been marketing its version of medical decision-support software (DSS) since 1982.
Unfortunately, a large number of medical providers are resistant to using DSS software. Some see it as an encroachment upon their judgement, while others simply do not trust the systems. However, as each new generation of medical providers is trained, these budding professionals will have been exposed to technology from a young age. Medical schools should promote the use of such systems.
It is impossible for any doctor to store all relevant knowledge in his brain. On top of the impossibility, it is unnecessary. Doctors should be trained in procedures for quickly finding relevant information instead of being encouraged to memorize as much information as they can possibly cram into their cranium (moving knowledge from its source.) Patients, too, should be given tools and encouraged to train themselves in matters of their health. Perhaps this type of training could be provided in health classes even at the high school and grade school levels. Using information in a responsible way could significantly reduce healthcare costs, both at the individual and macroeconomy levels.
THCB touched on this subject today, and I weighed in with a comment.
According to Dr. Larry Weed, the current state of medical infrastructure leads to "knowledge being moved from its source." Dr. Weed is an innovator in the field of medical informatics, and has been advocating for knowledge/problem couplers for many years. Essentially, a coupler matches specific patient information with a vast store of medical literature to produce information that could assist in making diagnoses or rendering treatments. Dr. Weed's company, PKC, has been marketing its version of medical decision-support software (DSS) since 1982.
Unfortunately, a large number of medical providers are resistant to using DSS software. Some see it as an encroachment upon their judgement, while others simply do not trust the systems. However, as each new generation of medical providers is trained, these budding professionals will have been exposed to technology from a young age. Medical schools should promote the use of such systems.
It is impossible for any doctor to store all relevant knowledge in his brain. On top of the impossibility, it is unnecessary. Doctors should be trained in procedures for quickly finding relevant information instead of being encouraged to memorize as much information as they can possibly cram into their cranium (moving knowledge from its source.) Patients, too, should be given tools and encouraged to train themselves in matters of their health. Perhaps this type of training could be provided in health classes even at the high school and grade school levels. Using information in a responsible way could significantly reduce healthcare costs, both at the individual and macroeconomy levels.
THCB touched on this subject today, and I weighed in with a comment.
posted by Eric | 2:13 PM
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