Hunger for Data
Nowadays, if you want to know what will the weather be like tomorrow and you don't have your cell phone next to you... Ah, yes... I feel your anxiety after very though on lagging on "crucial" info.
We don't need long stories as a proof how more and faster information flow can improve overall workflow. Especially in complex systems such as health industry for instance.
With quality data collection and analysis hospitals can indicate epidemics, streamline operations and save money and material.
Those were the facts but still there is sometimes quite a resistance on implementing electronic data capture.
Data Mining and Undermining
We were OK without it!
Most definitely. Nothing insufficient would be used for serious tasks. But the same logic of stone-cold inertia could be used from the caveman’s doubt on leaving the caves onward.
Transferring to a faster, more secure way of doing things is benefit by itself.
Technology costs money!
Yes, it does. But, so does the data cleaning, consolidation and, God forbid, data loss. We where recalculating the these costs many times. Pen and paper data capture with data transfer and cleaning costs just about the same as EDC.
Better in the long run
EDC has initial higher costs. For pen and paper, you just name your questionnaire “Really, truly totally final Version” and print it. In the EDC your form goes to the people versed in data collecting. Final electronic form version after final paper version varies between fifth and tenth version. It evolves further after final paper version trough continuous pilots, testing and upgrades prior to production phase.
This means more complex start but better-quality start bringing inherent control during the capture process and less mistakes with no need for data transfer at the end of the process.
Breaking the tools
Not even the mighty Roman legions could not prevent slaves from breaking the hoes in the fields if they would not wanted to work.
Changing the mindset is the key!
The problem here is even more evident if we compare private and public sector. Such a change in private sector is accepted as a decision to make advances, while in public is often recognized as a call for discussion. We often see teams of people eagerly punching holes in the ship that is yet to set sails. Confronting the new, fighting the change.
Using new applications and introducing new procedures is often seen as a burden over already existing work load so it is crucial for the leadership to present benefits prior to introducing changes.
Breaking the ice
It is up to those at the leading positions to be promotors of changes. If there is no deep understanding of optimization, security and advantages of more data, more secure data and faster available data, among those who are making decisions, true advances are just not possible in the field of data collecting and analysis.
We have a period of COVID 19 pandemics behind us. We have evident proof of how secure and resilient businesses and work processes can be when suported in online environment with enhanced control and collaboration. All of those practices are still with us, her to stay and evolve further.
Author
Dr Nikola Ilic - MD and Biomedical informatics PhD