INTERESTING
Data. Data. Data. This continues to be the mantra of all businesses throughout the world. Data aggregation helps us with such topics as marketing, identifying our company’s strengths and weaknesses, and provides an unbiased viewpoint with which we can lean into to justify our decisions. Just ask Amazon how reliant they are on this information for their day-to-day operations and future growth. Heck, it has even spawned an entire narrative in the sports world with the likes of data analytics which was first sensationalized by Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics resulting in the highly acclaimed book and subsequent movie MoneyBall: The Art of winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis.
But does data have a role in medicine, and Orthopaedic Surgery specifically? The naysayers would argue no, that medicine is more art than science, and that it is expertise that continues to lead the advancement of our field. I would argue otherwise. Data aggregation has become so popular that I believe it will jettison the next generation of technological innovation within Orthopaedics, and the process has already begun. Robotics, wearables, patient reported outcomes, questionnaires, real-time data feedback, patient characteristics, demographics, the list goes on and on, will all help us understand outcomes and better provide optimal patient care. Imagine an artificial intelligence system that utilizes millions of hip and knee replacements to correctly identify those patients who may benefit from one type of prosthesis versus another. A system that could accurately identify when/where a failure point may come in the future that would allow clinicians to adequately protect their patients’ outcomes for the duration of their lives. Successfully identifying a specific type of patient where a proficient surgeon may struggle to further improve their already excellent outcomes.
We need to embrace data rather than fear it. Perhaps it will substantiate a lot of the orthopaedic dogma which already exists. Alternatively, perhaps we are thinking about things incorrectly and it can accurately identify, without bias, the error of our ways. The hope would be by continuing to aggregate all of these datapoints we can correctly identify the best approach to what matters most: Patient Care.
At Ortho Rhode Island, we are committed to constantly pushing the boundaries of technologic innovation through data collection in an effort to optimize patient outcomes. We have the history and fortitude to continue to push this frontier. It is our Blue Ocean Strategy, and we will continue to lead New England in this endeavor.
