http://virtuallypriceless.org/blog/2010/04/what-is-structured-information/ Reflections on Health, Informatics, and Research Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:22:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://virtuallypriceless.org/blog/2010/04/what-is-structured-information/comment-page-1/#comment-8849 Raymond Simkus Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:01:24 +0000 http://virtuallypriceless.org/blog/2010/04/what-is-structured-information/#comment-8849 The issue is whether or not the data being recorded will every be used again. There is an acronym WORN for 'write once read never'. This is what happens to most of the information that physicians record. If physicians use a computer based medical record in the same way as they use their paper charts then structured data is of little interest to them or anyone else. On the other hand if the physician can see that the data being entered will be used again in some manner, perhaps many times then it is worthwhile to record things in a way that can be searched on and aggregated. If the EMR application is well designed structured data entry can be very quick. I can be an unending source of frustration if the application is poorly designed. Many users cannot tell the difference until they have spent the time to actually try things out. The issue is whether or not the data being recorded will every be used again. There is an acronym WORN for ‘write once read never’. This is what happens to most of the information that physicians record. If physicians use a computer based medical record in the same way as they use their paper charts then structured data is of little interest to them or anyone else. On the other hand if the physician can see that the data being entered will be used again in some manner, perhaps many times then it is worthwhile to record things in a way that can be searched on and aggregated. If the EMR application is well designed structured data entry can be very quick. I can be an unending source of frustration if the application is poorly designed. Many users cannot tell the difference until they have spent the time to actually try things out.

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