Neither have we. “Information overload” however, is a very familiar term. The clear implication is that there must be some major difference between information and knowledge – yet this crucial distinction is usually overlooked in the stampede to make use of sophisticated workplace technology. In fact, very few organizations can readily articulate the difference between information and knowledge in their work practices.

So what IS the difference, then? Well, imagine a learning process that starts with data – usually some large mass of numbers that measures or describes something. Such raw numbers aren’t particularly meaningful or useful on their own however, and so data typically gets converted into information by processing it; graphing, for instance, is one way to convert data into information that conveys meaning. Other ways to process data into information include calculating averages, trends, and so forth.

What is less obvious is that information can then be processed and converted into knowledge. This is done when information is absorbed and integrated with a person’s existing knowledge, and made actionable. But because this is actually much more difficult than processing data into information, and this is where organizations tend to get stuck – with the result that they produce more and more information from more and more data, while failing to produce more and more knowledge.

There are two main reasons why converting information to knowledge is difficult. First, the creation of knowledge from information relies heavily on a match between incoming information and what the person in question already knows. If there isn’t a good match – if the workplace information system isn’t tuned to the existing knowledge and needs of its user – then no knowledge is born, and information simply piles up. The second reason is that knowledge tends to reside in the heads of people rather than in databases or documents. When knowledge gets extracted from the head and written down, it is often degraded back into information for someone else to reconvert to knowledge. This is massively inefficient and frequently unnecessary.

So what is the solution? Well, some organizations are very adept at using information technology to speed up the conversion of information to knowledge by individuals. This can be accomplished with careful mapping of where and how information does and should move through an organization, together with a thorough analysis of the characteristics and needs of the knowledge workers involved.

Ironically, technology is often used to increase the amount of data and information thrust upon workers, creating the sort of information overload which actually impedes a person’s ability to create knowledge. Technology certainly can and should be used to do the exact opposite – facilitating knowledge instead of information overload. For example, a weather feed to an average person that provides wind speed and direction, air pressure, historical highs and extend several days into the future over a large region, is saying a great deal – but little that it is actionable.

However, a forecast that gives only a probability of precipitation and relative humidity within an explicit time frame and limited geography will actually enable the recipient to integrate that with her planned activities and make smart decisions about attire, schedule changes, and so forth – while transmitting only a fraction of the information of the first example.

Some organizations have also discovered how technology can be used to help skilled professionals exchange knowledge with each other without having to degrade knowledge to information first Various forms of social media can be effective for such groups, usually variations of the Q&A forum, where membership is not wide open and where members are all part of the same specialty, trade, or job occupation.

The healthcare arena is rife with skilled professionals, and is ideally suited to improving its ability to use social media to convert information to knowledge efficiently and to share knowledge effectively. These goals lie at the heart of the Infonaut approach to designing effective solutions for its clients.

Interested in learning more? Contact our Director of Knowledge Management, Colin Furness.

Dapasoft, an award winning Canadian software company that is a leader in hospital & healthcare system integration, is a trusted partner of Infonaut’s who skill and expertise are proving key to our growth and success.

Of particular interest is Dapasoft’s “Corolar” solution, which simplifies the design, development and management of HL7 integration solutions. Corolar is completely optimized for HL7 integration projects, and is the product of years of experience and a deep understanding of the integration environment. In doing so, it addresses a number of key themes and requirements for all integration projects. Corolar is now natively bundled with Infonaut’s Region Watch Live and Hospital Watch Live solutions.

Corolar is a standard-based solution that uses best practices, it automatically generates full documentation on the HL7 integration requirements and overall, it dramatically accelerates delivery of HL7 integration solutions at a reduced cost. But perhaps the most interesting feature is that it ‘packages’ the connections between various systems and allows these to be shared and re-used within the ‘Corolar’ community – dramatically reducing the time and effort to create each individual connection. For a coordinating and planning body that oversees a number of hospitals and healthcare providers it simplifies regional integration efforts.

Dapasoft has developed and nurtured a close relationship with Microsoft, the world’s leading software development business. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, they have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of Microsoft-based software and E-Business solutions. Our clients can trust that their Microsoft software or E-Business solutions will be integrated, replicable, scalable and reliable.

de-identification: In patient privacy, de-identification refers to the removal of identifying information – patient name, medical record number, birthdate, social security number – from medical records, to protect patient privacy. This is important for HIPAA and patient privacy considerations.

re-anonymization: The ability to reverse-engineer anonymized information. E.g. The risk-exposure of being able to identify a person with 90% certainty, using only access to publicly available databases and the person’s date-of-birth and postal code.

Read more about locational privacy at http://www.ehealthinformation.ca.

Infonaut is pleased to announce it is partnering with ehealthexperts, a health-IT consulting firm originating out of Saudi Arabia now based in California, to help introduce the “Infonaut Live” suite of map-based decision-making tools for infectious disease surveillance and controls to the Middle Eastern markets.

“Our relationship with ehealthexperts started when we realized there was a mutual desire to better understand the spread of disease pathogens through the use of geo-mapping technology,” notes Niall Wallace, CEO of Infonaut, “They are playing a critical role in adapting our software and marketing materials for the Middle Eastern market.”

“We understand all countries are grappling with the spread of various disease pathogens and believe Infonaut’s health industry experience and use of technology and real-time integration is what positions them as an innovative leader in providing disease surveillance solutions” says Fadi Al-Buhairan, Chief Executive Officer of ehealthexperts, “we are committed to developing a strong customer base in the Middle East region.”

ehealthexperts provides health information technology Professional Services to hospitals in California and the Middle East and specializes in: Hospital Information Systems (HIS); Clinical Information Management Systems (CIMS) and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS). For more information on ehealthexperts please contact: info@ehealthexperts.net.

Thanks to the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP), representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now have a better understanding of Ontario’s approach in the fight to control, and ultimately eliminate, the spread of Tuberculosis (TB).

At the CDC’s 2009 National TB Conference, “TB Elimination – It Takes a Village”, held June 15th – 19th, the OAHPP was invited to present their approach and solution.

Dr. Frances Jamieson, a Medical Microbiologist with the OAHPP, presented OUT-TB Web (which uses Infonaut’s Region Watch Live technology) to an audience of CDC and TB control professionals — ranging from local field staff to state-level decision makers.

Dr. Jamieson’s presentation demonstrated to a healthcare industry audience how OUT-TB Web works on the ground as an extensible, data-standardizing tool built to assist public health professionals in controlling the spread of infection, starting with TB.

The OAHPP and Infonaut are working together on solutions that move TB testing and information sharing from manual, time-intensive and reactive, to a new proactive approach that’s built on advanced real-time monitoring, rapid data comparison, and solution sharing.

Dr. Jamieson: “The CDC epidemiologists and laboratory experts at the presentation were very keen to hear about the OAHPP’s OUT-TB Web programme, as the CDC is embarking on a web-based enhancement of their national surveillance programme. The GIS component of the OUT-TB Web programme generated much discussion and interest, and we will continue to communicate with the CDC to ‘compare notes’ as we move forward with the implementation of OUT-TB Web”

Watch a demonstration of the Region Watch Live (RWL) technology on our site, and if you’d like to know more about Region Watch Live, please contact us.

About OAHPP

The Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) is an arm’s-length government agency dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of all Ontarians and reducing inequities in health. As a hub organization, OAHPP links public health practitioners, front-line health workers and researchers to the best scientific intelligence and knowledge from around the world.

OAHPP provides expert scientific and technical support relating to infection prevention and control; surveillance and epidemiology; health promotion, chronic disease and injury prevention; environmental and occupational health; health emergency preparedness; and public health laboratory services to support health providers, the public health system and partner ministries in making informed decisions and taking informed action to improve the health and security of Ontarians. For more information about OAHPP, visit www.oahpp.ca. 


Get the latest Infonaut news in our May 2009 newsletter! Read it online here.

With Novel H1N1 Influenza A (human swine flu), spreading from country to country, and everyone anxiously seeking information, Infonaut’s disease surveillance solutions are quickly gaining the attention of the public and public health professionals.

On May 5th, the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business featured a profile of Infonaut’s business model. Asking how relevant solutions can be brought to market during difficult times. The May issue of “Canada Watch”, the New York Consulate General’s newsletter, featured a profile of our solutions saying: “In 2009, it’s Infonaut’s turn”. This month also marked CEO Niall Wallace’s television debut, when he appeared on Business News Network’s SqueezePlay , discussing the lessons learned from SARS and how we’re applying them in our solutions.

Interest in our Infonaut Live solutions , and how they enable infectious disease prevention, is growing. Novel H1N1 Influenza A (human swine flu) has fixed our global attention on how prepared we are to deal with disease outbreaks — seasonal or extraordinary. As global health leaders search for ways to understand the local, national and international spread of disease, Infonaut is here with solutions that scale from infection monitoring and control within a hospital, to city-wide, country-wide and beyond.

In southeastern Ontario, and in collaboration with our partners at Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health , our Infection Watch Live solution is already keeping the public informed on respiratory and gastrointestinal outbreaks in their community. Empowering people with the knowledge of what’s going on now, what’s normal, and what’s new.

Our made-in-Canada success story is moving ahead, by giving the public the information they want and need to keep themselves safe.

An animated overview of how Infection Watch Live works can now be viewed on our website . Learn more about all our products by visiting our software demo pages here . Be in touch with us by clicking here .

It’s not only media who are paying attention to Infonaut — IDC, the largest IT market research firm in the world, has just named Infonaut to their list of IDC’s 10 Canadian Healthcare Solutions to Watch .

IDC’s analysts evaluate over a thousand companies, against criteria designed to determine which are the most likely to significantly impact the information communications technology (ICT) market. Companies are rigorously assessed on their strategy, their partners, customers, channels-to-market, the competitive landscape and more.

Infonaut is proud to be selected as one of IDC’s 10-to-Watch. We intend to prove them right.

Infonaut CEO Niall Wallace will be on Business News Network’s SqueezePlay tonight at 5:40pm. Be sure to check him out!

Report on Business features a profile of Infonaut this week, and the relevance of our Infection Watch Live solution to the H1N1 outbreak:

In 1854, Dr. John Snow plotted cholera cases on a map of London, England, to find the source of a serious outbreak that was killing hundreds of people. It became apparent that the biggest clusters of the disease were near a public water pump on Broad Street, and Dr. Snow was able to stop the spread by shutting down that source.

Fast-forward one-and-a-half centuries to Toronto, where a small firm is using 21st-century software to create maps with similar goals — the containment of disease — by showing infection patterns that can be understood at a glance.