Notes on Health Information Management: Information and Society

Introduction to Information Management

  • Overview of Information Management in Health Context.
  • Importance of information management for both individual health decisions and organizational policies.

Today's Goals

  • Issues Related to Information Access
    • Understanding information overload, bias, privacy, and security.
  • Big Data
    • Definition and implications for decision-making.
  • Economic Impact of Poor Data Quality
    • How unreliable data can affect economies.
  • Historical Misuses of Information
    • Examining past examples of information misuse.
  • Information Privacy vs. Consumer Protection
    • Contrast between consumer protection and basic human rights in relation to privacy.

Land Acknowledgement

  • Recognition of the traditional territories of the Anishnaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples on which the college is situated.

Information Overload

  • Definition: Exposure to too much information leads to difficulty in decision making and processing.
  • Key Considerations:
    • Who curates the information we consume?
    • The overwhelming number of sources (e.g., millions of websites about a specific topic) leads to a lack of depth in information consumption.

Fake News

  • Definition and Impact:
    • Distortion of facts or spreading rumors often used to capture attention.
  • Recent Examples:
    • Fake videos related to political events illustrate the contemporary issues of misinformation.
  • Critical Thinking:
    • How to discern truth in the face of misleading information is essential.

Cognitive Dissonance and Cherry Picking

  • Cognitive Dissonance:
    • A psychological theory explaining discomfort from holding conflicting attitudes, leading individuals to seek consistency in their beliefs.
    • Example: A smoker rationalizing their habit despite knowing its risks.
  • Cherry Picking:
    • Presenting only selective evidence that confirms one’s views while ignoring contradictory data.

Media and Privacy Concerns

  • Privacy Issues:
    • Social media and other online platforms collect vast amounts of personal data, raising concerns about privacy and data stewardship.
  • Click Bait:
    • Techniques used by media organizations to drive traffic, often leading to sensationalized or misleading content.

Data Quality

  • Principle: "Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO)"
  • 5 Key Characteristics:
    1. Accuracy: The correctness of data.
    2. Completeness: Having all necessary data points for informed decisions.
    3. Orderliness: Data must be organized for reliable use.
    4. Consistency: Uniformity in data formatting and updates.
    5. Auditability: Ability to track the origin and changes of data.

Data Stewardship in Health Information Management (HIM)

  • Definition: The management and oversight of data integrity within health organizations.
  • HIM professionals play a crucial role in:
    • Collecting, organizing, and protecting health data.
    • Managing data quality to improve care quality and efficiency.

Key Takeaways

  • Recognize the advantages and challenges associated with big data and its management.
  • Understand each of the 5 data quality characteristics relevant to HIM.
  • Embrace the responsibility of HIM professionals in data stewardship.

Next Class Outline

  • Focus on professions in Health Information Management.
  • Asynchronous learning on upcoming topics including big data applications in healthcare.