Compliance culture or culture change? The role of funders in improving data management and sharing practice amongst researchers

Posted on December 4, 2017 By Shawn Douglas Journal articles

In this 2017 paper by Curtin University's Cameron Neylon, the concepts of research data management (RDM) and research data sharing (RDS) are solidified and identified as increasingly common practices for funded research enterprises, particularly public-facing ones. But what of the implementation of these practices and the challenges associated with them? Neylon finds more than expected in his study, identifying sharp contrast among "those who saw [data management] requirements as a necessary part of raising issues among researchers and those concerned that this was leading to a compliance culture, where data management was seen as a required administrative exercise rather than an integral part of research practice." Neylon concludes with three key recommendations for researchers in general should follow to further shape how RDM and RDS are approached in research communities.

A review of the role of public health informatics in healthcare

Posted on November 27, 2017 By Shawn Douglas Journal articles

This brief review article from early 2017 looks at the basic elements of public health informatics and addresses how they're implemented. Aziz compares paper-based surveillance systems with electronic systems, noting the various improvements and challenges that have come with transitioning to electronic surveillance. He also reviews how public health informatics is applied in the U.S. and other parts of the world, including Saudi Arabia. Aziz concludes that "[p]atients, healthcare professionals, and public health officials can all help in reshaping public health through the adoption of new information systems, the use of electronic methods for disease surveillance, and the reformation of outmoded processes."

Preferred names, preferred pronouns, and gender identity in the electronic medical record and laboratory information system: Is pathology ready?

Posted on November 21, 2017 By Shawn Douglas Journal articles

In this technical note from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Imborek et al. walk through the benefits and challenges of evaluating, implementing, and assessing preferred name and gender identity into its various laboratory systems and workflows. As preferred name has been an important point "in providing inclusion toward a class of patients that have historically been disenfranchised from the healthcare system" — primarily transgender patients — awareness is increasing at many levels about not only the inclusion of preferred name but also the complications that arise from it. From customizing software to billing and coding issues, from blood donor issues to laboratory test challenges, the group concludes that despite the "major undertaking [that] required the combined effort of many people from different teams," the efforts provide new opportunities for the field of pathology.

Experimental application of business process management technology to manage clinical pathways: A pediatric kidney transplantation follow-up case

Posted on November 15, 2017 By Shawn Douglas Journal articles

Sure, there's plenty of talk about big data in the research and clinical realms, but what of smarter data, gained from using business process management (BPM) tools? That's the direction Andellini et al. went in after looking at the kidney transplantation cases at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, realizing the potential for improving clinical decisions, scheduling of patient appointments, and reducing human errors in workflow. The group concluded "that the usage of BPM in the management of kidney transplantation leads to real benefits in terms of resource optimization and quality improvement," and that a "combination of a BPM-based platform with a service-oriented architecture could represent a revolution in clinical pathway management."