Doctor Visits as Data Points

The Patient Centered Research  Institute (PCORI)announced Tuesday how it would move forward on that mission: spend $68 million to fund a network of health-care systems that cover as many as 12 million patients. The idea is to use all the doctor visits that already happen — and all the treatments that doctors prescribe — to figure out which ones do best for a certain type of patient.
 

Sarah Kliff,  “Under Obamacare Program, doctor visits would become data points, “ Washington Post, April 23, 2012
 

In statistics, a data point is a set of measurements on a single member of a statistical population, or a subset of those measurements for a given individual. In addition, in statistical graphics, a "data point" may be an individual item with a statistical display; such points may relate to either a single member of a population or to a summary statistic calculated for a given subpopulation.

Data Point Definition

If you haven’t heard,  this is the age of Big Data.  The reasoning behind Big Data goes like this: Big Data is impersonal.  Big Data has no bias.  Big  Data is objective.  Big Data is easily collectiable.  Big Data is measurable. Therefore, Big Data is good.

Never mind that medicine is personal, confidential. subjective, and an Art.  With computers, artificial intelligence, and public funding,  medicine has become a  measurable, manageable Science.  Big Data is King.

Big Data  can now, and with precision,  define where we shop,  what we buy, when and where we buy, and who we elect. Big Data can  define what kind and the best of care we receive, and, ultimately, to what doctors  and hospitals we go. Those doctors and hospitals presumably will be the ones with the best outcomes and with no personal self-interests, income, or revenue axes  to grind.
 

Here is how the Washington Post explains the Obama administration's  Big Data program,

“The Affordable Care Act created the Patient Centered Research Outcomes Institute (PCORI) to support comparative effectiveness research, studies that identify the most effective treatments when a whole array of options might be available."

"PCORI announced Tuesday how it would move forward on that mission: spend $68 million to fund a network of health-care systems that cover as many as 12 million patients. The idea is to use all the doctor visits that already happen — and all the treatments that doctors prescribe — to figure out which ones do best for a certain type of patient.”

Two Big Obstacles with the Big Data Outcome Program – Patients and Doctors

At a recent meeting of 500 patients at which the program was explained and patients were asked if it would be OK if their data was used,  two patients raised their hand in affirmation and approval.

Doctors aren’t any happier with the idea.  In a local health system,  doctors are asked to wheel around or carry a laptop to enter patient data at the point of care, or “data point,” If you prefer. I am aware of two doctors who have left the system because they were uncomfortable with entering data in front of patients.  Said one to me, “I was trained to take care of people, not to being a computer technician and data entry clerk.”

Tweet:  Patients and doctors are uncomfortable with  using computers at the point of care to gather data on the efficacy of personal care and outcomes.