Difference between revisions of "Crowdsourcing"

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(Crowdsourcing is a method in which organizations can collectively produce large knowledge bases. Applied to medicine, this concept has the potential to improve work up, diagnosis, and treatment.)
(Crowdsourcing is a method in which organizations can collectively produce large knowledge bases. Applied to medicine, this concept has the potential to improve work up, diagnosis, and treatment.)
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Crowdsourcing is a specific type of outsourcing where an organization uses contributions from mainly unidentified users to quickly create a large amount of knowledge.<ref>Crowdsourcing. (2016, October 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:08, October 19, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crowdsourcing&oldid=745111908</ref> Some of the most well known crowdsourced work includes sites like Wikipedia and Reddit. This method can be applied to [[Clinical Informatics]] through the use of [[Big Data]].
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Crowdsourcing is a specific type of outsourcing where an organization uses contributions from mainly unidentified users to quickly create a large amount of knowledge.<ref>Crowdsourcing. (2016, October 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:08, October 19, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crowdsourcing&oldid=745111908</ref> Some of the most well known crowdsourced work includes sites like Wikipedia and Reddit. FEMA has used crowdsourcing to help with disaster management. This method can also be applied to [[Clinical informatics]] through the use of [[Big Data]].
  
 
== Overview ==
 
== Overview ==
Crowdsourcing as it pertains to medicine can generally be divided into 3 main categories: health promotion, health research, and health maintenance.<ref>Crowdsourcing. (2016, October 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:08, October 19, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crowdsourcing&oldid=745111908</ref> However, the potential exists for crowdsourcing to improve Clinical Decision Support ([[CDS]]) for work up, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions. Each day, massive amounts of medical data are created, which can be leveraged to help guide best practice. Conceptually, users would be patients and/or physicians
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Crowdsourcing as it pertains to medicine can generally be divided into 3 main categories: health promotion, health research, and health maintenance. However, the potential exists for crowdsourcing to improve Clinical Decision Support ([[CDS]]) for work up, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions. Each day, massive amounts of medical data are created, which can be leveraged to help guide "best practice." Conceptually, users would be patients and/or physicians who, through being treated for/treating conditions, contribute to a collective knowledge base.
  
 
== Channels ==
 
== Channels ==
website or dashboard
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Typically, crowdsourced activities have utilized outside websites. However, other platforms for this exist, including mobile applications and dashboards. Additionally, it would be possible to set up a system that fully integrates into an Electronic Health Record ([[EHR]]).
fully integrated into Electronic Health Record ([[EHR]])
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== Potential Medical Applications ==
 
== Potential Medical Applications ==
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Novel websites have already been created (see Examples) to outsource rare diagnoses or share successful treatments, although these haven't been adopted into mainstream medicine. Some research and pilot studies are ongoing, looking into incorporating crowdsourcing into the EHR. One potential application would be to run a CDS algorithm for a patient's Emergency Department work up. Through analyzing all other prior patients with the same age, gender, and chief complaint, the system could suggest similar studies for the current patient. This concept could also be used to suggest treatments for various conditions, matching similar patients and ICD-10 codes with the medications given, procedures done, etc.<ref>McCoy AB, Wright A, Rogith D, Fathiamini S, Ottenbacher AJ, Sittig DF. Development of a clinician reputation metric to identify appropriate problem-medication pairs in a crowdsourced knowledge base.</ref> Another difficulty in clinical medicine is prognosis. If patients could be matched to a similar cohort within the system, this may give clinicians another tool to help prognosticate. Not only can crowdsourcing help with clinical care, but it can also be used for large scale population research.<ref>http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/blogs/david-raths/using-crowdsourcing-mobile-apps-re-think-participants-role-clinical-research</ref>
  
 
== Limitations ==
 
== Limitations ==
not medically trained
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Depending on the system, there may be technical challenges to implementing projects integrated with the EHR. Even if this is successful, studies are ongoing, and there is currently insufficient evidence to prove the effectiveness of this method. Additionally, there are ethical concerns about crowdsourcing medical problems to the general public, who are not medically trained.
funding
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more studies -not proven
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ethical implications
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== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
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[https://www.fema.gov/blog/2013-08-02/crowdsourcing-disasters-and-social-engagement-multiplied FEMA]
 
[https://www.fema.gov/blog/2013-08-02/crowdsourcing-disasters-and-social-engagement-multiplied FEMA]
 
  
 
== Medical Examples ==
 
== Medical Examples ==
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[http://www.improvecarenow.org ImproveCareNow]
 
[http://www.improvecarenow.org ImproveCareNow]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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==Further Reading==
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[https://www.wired.com/2006/06/crowds Howe J. The rise of crowdsourcing. Wired Mag. 2006;14:1–4.]
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[https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/08/18/reflections-from-residency-can-crowdsourcing-find-right-diagnosis/5uwbZLDNVoHreoFCDM0m5M/story.html Boston Globe Crowdsourcing the diagnosis]
  
  

Revision as of 18:34, 23 October 2016

Crowdsourcing is a specific type of outsourcing where an organization uses contributions from mainly unidentified users to quickly create a large amount of knowledge.[1] Some of the most well known crowdsourced work includes sites like Wikipedia and Reddit. FEMA has used crowdsourcing to help with disaster management. This method can also be applied to Clinical informatics through the use of Big Data.

Overview

Crowdsourcing as it pertains to medicine can generally be divided into 3 main categories: health promotion, health research, and health maintenance. However, the potential exists for crowdsourcing to improve Clinical Decision Support (CDS) for work up, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions. Each day, massive amounts of medical data are created, which can be leveraged to help guide "best practice." Conceptually, users would be patients and/or physicians who, through being treated for/treating conditions, contribute to a collective knowledge base.

Channels

Typically, crowdsourced activities have utilized outside websites. However, other platforms for this exist, including mobile applications and dashboards. Additionally, it would be possible to set up a system that fully integrates into an Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Potential Medical Applications

Novel websites have already been created (see Examples) to outsource rare diagnoses or share successful treatments, although these haven't been adopted into mainstream medicine. Some research and pilot studies are ongoing, looking into incorporating crowdsourcing into the EHR. One potential application would be to run a CDS algorithm for a patient's Emergency Department work up. Through analyzing all other prior patients with the same age, gender, and chief complaint, the system could suggest similar studies for the current patient. This concept could also be used to suggest treatments for various conditions, matching similar patients and ICD-10 codes with the medications given, procedures done, etc.[2] Another difficulty in clinical medicine is prognosis. If patients could be matched to a similar cohort within the system, this may give clinicians another tool to help prognosticate. Not only can crowdsourcing help with clinical care, but it can also be used for large scale population research.[3]

Limitations

Depending on the system, there may be technical challenges to implementing projects integrated with the EHR. Even if this is successful, studies are ongoing, and there is currently insufficient evidence to prove the effectiveness of this method. Additionally, there are ethical concerns about crowdsourcing medical problems to the general public, who are not medically trained.

Examples

Wikipedia

Reddit

Kickstarter

FEMA

Medical Examples

CrowdMed

PatientsLikeMe

ImproveCareNow

References

  1. Crowdsourcing. (2016, October 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:08, October 19, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crowdsourcing&oldid=745111908
  2. McCoy AB, Wright A, Rogith D, Fathiamini S, Ottenbacher AJ, Sittig DF. Development of a clinician reputation metric to identify appropriate problem-medication pairs in a crowdsourced knowledge base.
  3. http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/blogs/david-raths/using-crowdsourcing-mobile-apps-re-think-participants-role-clinical-research

Further Reading

Howe J. The rise of crowdsourcing. Wired Mag. 2006;14:1–4.

Boston Globe Crowdsourcing the diagnosis


Submitted by Andrew Muth, MD