Rita Truex Module 5
Bhargava, R. (2012, December
26). Data as disempowerment [Blog post]. Retrieved from
http://datatherapy.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/data-as-disempowerment/
Mock, M. (2013, April 18).
Q&A with Alberto Cairo: Exploring the art and ethics of infographics [Blog
post]. Retrieved from
http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/blog/2013/apr/18/q-alberto-cairo-exploring-art-and-ethics-infograph/
This
week while learning about data presentation, I stumbled upon a blog post at
datatherapy entitled “Data as disempowerment.” In the post the author described
the potential for telling stories with data (that is, presentation of data) to
disempower people. He describes data as a language that many do not understand
which in turn leads to disempowerment, comparing data language users to the
Roman Catholic Church, which for a very long time refused to allow the bible to
be printed in English. Similarly, using “techie” language, he asserted, still
allowed one class of people to be disempowered (those that do not speak the
language.) The blog post got me thinking about ethics and data presentation and
so, intrigued, I found yet another blog post by Mock (2013), discussing the
ethical aspects of using infographics. One doesn't have to look far to find
examples of information that is used to sway opinion while playing fast and
loose with facts. Look up any political party on the internet or watch a
political commercial and you’ll find claims that are shocking; look a little
deeper at the facts behind those claims and the real shock is how data is
manipulated to tell a biased story.
This
sort of parsing the data to tell a biased story is what the second blog post
discussion with Alberto Cairo, a communications professor at the University of
Miami, sought to illuminate. Per Mr. Cairo, an expert in the field of data
visualization, there is a huge interest in data and making data public, but
less of a conversation regarding the ethics of how data is presented. In this
blog post, the issue of scientific language and being able to bridge the gap
between those who speak the language and those who don’t is again discussed.
These blog
posts are the opinions of experts in data presentation. Mr. Bhargava writes the
blog for the MIT Center for Civic Media, while Mr. Cairo is an author and
lecturer in data visualization. As future nurse informaticists we should be aware of the implications
of infographics that may
misinform the public and sway opinions. According to
the American Nurses Association’s Nursing Informatics Scope and Standards of
Practice (2008), the informatics nurse “has a responsibility to advocate for data
confidentiality, integrity, and security, quality management of information,
and legitimate data use.” This responsibility
is in keeping with the Nurses Code of Ethics (2001) which requires us to
educate the public and facilitate informed choice. We have a duty to empower
those who do not speak the language of healthcare and interpret healthcare data
in a way that informs the public.
References
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting blog Rita in that it gives insight to other uses of data manipulation. It is definitely food for thought that needs to be considered as we advance through our nursing informatics career. There are sometimes ethical issues with the information that is presented with political figures and their ongoing campaigns. You are right to state that there is not enough emphasis placed on the ethical manner in which data is presented. This can lead us to deal with the slippery slope of data manipulation. "It is vital to understand the principles and standards of ethical decision making, and philosophic approaches to ethical decision making, and it requires a systematic framework for addressing complex and moral questions," (McGonigle, & Mastrian, 2012, pg.72)
ReplyDeleteReference
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Alanna,
DeleteI think nurses are in the position to look critically at health information claims and help others understand the validity of those claims. The problem with information graphics is that data can be manipulated to suit those who would use it to mislead the untrained reader. Political campaigns are the most obvious offenders, but it could be any information. When I think of all the issues that are in the news on any given day (crime rates, GMO foods, fracking, etc), it is certainly easier to look at an infographic than to research all of the issues before taking a stance. Certainly, most of us do not have the time it would take to research all of these...which makes all of easy targets for biased data visualization.
I agree nurses are on the front line and can look deeper at the health information
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