Data processing in clinical departments is a burden for physicians
Clinical records hold a lot of data, which can be used to expand medical knowledge and improve patient care.
If you work in a place where the steps of data processing (extraction, organisation, manipulation, visualisation) are software-assisted/-automated or done by dedicated personnel, take a moment to understand and appreciate how valuable that is.
Despite the evolution of data science and artificial intelligence, access to such knowledge and technological capabilities is far from equitable. Even tech-based healthcare units suffer from limited and outdated healthcare software and a lack of dedicated professionals (medical or non-medical) to help with scientific investigation and communication.
The reality for many is that each time a doctor wants to make a study or communication based on patient data, they — usually specialty trainees — search the patients’ records and copy the targeted data to another storage location, usually a spreadsheet. Patient by patient, piece of information by piece of information. After that, the doctor invariably has to do some degree of data cleaning. Only then can the data be properly analysed and presented by the software.
Hundreds of extra hours in your supposed medical training and practice.
I hope that reality changes soon. At least for those who want it to.
We can and should consider and decide how to keep records that are more organised, systematic, flexible and easier for everyone to read. But our ultimate ally is technology. The right technology in the hands of the right people.
Infekta