Projects per year
Abstract
Context
In healthcare, digitization has been widespread and profound, entailing a deluge of data. This has spurred ambitions for healthcare to become data-driven to improve efficiency and quality, and within medicine itself to improve diagnosing and treating diseases. The generation and processing of data requires human intervention and work, though this is often not acknowledged.
Purpose
The paper investigates who, where, by which means, and for which purposes data work is conducted which is crucial for healthcare managers and policy makers if ambitions to become data-driven are to succeed. To guide further research, it also provides an overview of existing research on data work and practices.
Methods
We conducted a scoping review based on a search for papers including the terms healthcare or health care combined with at least one of the following terms: data work, data worker*, data practice*, data practitioner* in Scopus and Web of Science. 74 papers on data work or practices in healthcare were included.
Analysis
The 74 papers were coded and analyzed regarding the following themes: the kind of data workers and practitioners, organizational settings, involved technologies, purposes, data work tasks, theories and concepts, and definitions of data work and practice.
Results
Data work is pervasive in healthcare and conducted by various professions and people and in various contexts. The field researching data work and practices is emerging, with publications spread across multiple venues. and there is a need for more precise definitions of data work. Further, data work and practices are useful concepts that have enabled the exploration of those efforts and tasks in detail.
Conclusion
The research on data work and practices in healthcare is emerging and promising. We call for more research to consolidate the field and to better understand and support the work needed for healthcare to become data-driven.
In healthcare, digitization has been widespread and profound, entailing a deluge of data. This has spurred ambitions for healthcare to become data-driven to improve efficiency and quality, and within medicine itself to improve diagnosing and treating diseases. The generation and processing of data requires human intervention and work, though this is often not acknowledged.
Purpose
The paper investigates who, where, by which means, and for which purposes data work is conducted which is crucial for healthcare managers and policy makers if ambitions to become data-driven are to succeed. To guide further research, it also provides an overview of existing research on data work and practices.
Methods
We conducted a scoping review based on a search for papers including the terms healthcare or health care combined with at least one of the following terms: data work, data worker*, data practice*, data practitioner* in Scopus and Web of Science. 74 papers on data work or practices in healthcare were included.
Analysis
The 74 papers were coded and analyzed regarding the following themes: the kind of data workers and practitioners, organizational settings, involved technologies, purposes, data work tasks, theories and concepts, and definitions of data work and practice.
Results
Data work is pervasive in healthcare and conducted by various professions and people and in various contexts. The field researching data work and practices is emerging, with publications spread across multiple venues. and there is a need for more precise definitions of data work. Further, data work and practices are useful concepts that have enabled the exploration of those efforts and tasks in detail.
Conclusion
The research on data work and practices in healthcare is emerging and promising. We call for more research to consolidate the field and to better understand and support the work needed for healthcare to become data-driven.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 105348 |
| Journal | International Journal of Medical Informatics |
| Volume | 184 |
| ISSN | 1386-5056 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2024 |
Keywords
- Data Work
- Data Practices
- Data-driven healthcare
- Digitization
- Healthcare
- Professions
- Data work
- Data practices
- Health Facilities
- Delivery of Health Care
- Humans
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Data work and practices in healthcare: A scoping review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
-
Making Data Work Visible: Knowledge, Skills and Changing Professions in Healthcare
Bossen, C. (PI) & Bertelsen, P. (Project manager)
01/08/2020 → 20/04/2024
Project: Research
Research output
- 3 Citations
- 1 PhD thesis
-
Data Saves Lives: An Ethnography of a Healthcare Business Intelligence Unit
Pedersen, A. M., 18 Mar 2025, 250 p.Research output: Types of Thesis › PhD thesis