The work of reuse: birth certificate data and healthcare accountability measurements

Pine, Kathleen H; Wolf, Christine; Mazmanian, Melissa

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/89310 Copy

Description

Title

The work of reuse: birth certificate data and healthcare accountability measurements

Author(s)

Pine, Kathleen H; Wolf, Christine; Mazmanian, Melissa

Issue Date

2016-03-15

Keyword(s)

• Information infrastructure
• accountability
• performance measurement
• data reuse
• healthcare

Abstract

Data reuse – long a key focus of information studies and CSCW research on eScience – is increasingly a major issue in organizations attempting to leverage data gathered using information systems for accountability functions such as performance measurements. Carrying out organizational analytics and performance measurements for accountability typically rests on the ability to successfully reuse existing, procurable data. We present results from an ethnographic study of the practices of recording birth certificate data and related attempts to assess and improve birth certificate data in response to a new re-use of birth certificate data for measurements introduced to hold hospitals accountable for the quality of the care they are delivering. Drawing on literature on data reuse and information infrastructure, we describe the situated work that must take place in order for birth certificate data to be reused for accountability purposes, and the organizational capacity building that must take place to facilitate the reuse of birth certificate data for measurement oriented to organizational improvement and accountability.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

IConference 2016 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/89310

DOI

https://doi.org/10.9776/16320

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 is held by the authors. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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