TMI....

When you were in high school did you ever use the letters “TMI”?  (Back in the days before texting we just said acronyms)  Usually it was used after hearing way “too much information” about someone or something.   Lately, I have been saying TMI a lot - not about inappropriate or gross info but about information in general.  We are generating too much information about ourselves and why? To “better” communicate? It’s actually less about communication and more about documentation.    I watched a show on sharks this weekend – the scientist were implanting devices into sharks to track their movements in the ocean to try to identify where they had their babies so that they could protect the species.   We don’t even need an implanted device we just freely put it out there.  

Think about it……I will use myself as an example.

In the past week….I went past intersection cameras that records driving patterns.  I used Facebook so that everyone could know my “status” and I could see theirs.  I visited with my son’s doctor and updated his medical record because they hadn’t entered all his shots.  (*Wished I could’ve just done that myself – click and drag or something)   I hopped on Twitter while I watched the Sporting KC game because I like to see what the community of fans is saying about the plays, it helps me learn the game.  I hopped on twitter again to see what articles the people I follow suggest.   I used my Chopper Shopper Cards (grocery loyalty cards) mostly to get a discount but full well knowing that they are recording every purchase I make to better market to me. (I actually get irritated when a retailer markets products I would never need to me – I think you know what I buy at least market something generally related)  I hopped onto Linkedin.  I checked the calorie content with an ap on my phone and recorded my Pilate's exercise in another.  I checked out Pintrest to see if there was a recipe for oatmeal pancakes – realized it’s really not a search engine but a big magazine which is strangely addictive.  I booked two flights using my frequent flier number.  I used the “genius” built in my iTunes account to see if there was some new flavor of music that would “suit” me.  Turned on Pandora for my kids. Amazon sent me an email of some books that they thought would entice me to buy.  This morning I used my access control card to get into my building.

As different as these items are - they all create the same thing – data.  Data that paints a picture of who I am, what I do, when I do it, and what I am interested in.    Do you ever look at your digital footprint and think TMI – wow that’s just too much!  Or do you look at it and think – wow that is such a missed opportunity.   We have developed a culture that likes to document ourselves - which really makes me strangely confused as to why there is so much resistance to EMR - but maybe if it were more like facebook nurses and docs would like it more.    

Here is my point – if you think about all of the things I listed above – all of the ways we document ourselves or allow ourselves to be documented – the model of business has rapidly and radically changed and will continue to do so.    How are you equipping your company to accept my information?  Is your EMR really ready all of this – is it really future ready?    How are you enabling me – the buyer – the patient – to provide you with valuable data about location, interaction, activities, diet, and more.   Are you building a tool for the future or are you hoping you can adjust your current technology consume the masses of information coming?