Data/Information/Knowledge/Wisdom Continuum

Data/Information/Knowledge/Wisdom Continuum

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Data/Information/Knowledge/Wisdom Continuum

According to National Health and Nutritional Survey (NHANES), approximately 21% to 24% of childrenpopulation is overweight.Childhood obesity predisposes children to high risks of poor resistance to disease such as hypertension, liver and renal diseases, and hypertensions among others. This makes the childhood obesity a major concern to the health sector today. The disorder is attributed by many factors including, genetics, lifestyle, environment and metabolism(Emedicine.medscape.com, 2015). For over years, the health practitioners have been working round the clock to coming up with the best practices to help people prevent and treat obesity. There are many therapeutic interventions and surgeries that have been proved to control and mange weight gain in children and also known to reduce body mass index (BMI). It is important to prevent obesity in child at early age to in order to manage the long-term complications associated to it at adulthood. The purpose of this paper is to determine the data, information, and knowledge, wisdom continuum to find the better diet and exercise or surgical intervention as a way to treat and manage obesity(Emedicine.medscape.com, 2015).

In the recent technological advancement, nursing informatics provide tools for faster search of data and ease the process of data manipulation to provide meaningful information for decision making. Technology has revolutionized nursing research over time turning it to more of evidence based practice. Things are no longer done because it has just been the way it is done. But medical practitioners are able to search for the relevant electronic evidence- based resources critically selected to provide science behind the situation. Nursing informatics facilitates integration of data, information and knowledge for nursing support. Nurses are able to acquire wisdom from the make sound decision on the best intervention to manage obesity of the patients from it(McGonigle&Mastrian, 2009).

The keywords that are used to conduct this research to address the research question “In the obese population what is better diet and exercise or surgical intervention as a way to treat and manage obesity?” Are listed as follows, obese patients, overweight, prevalence and obesity, surgery, proper dieting and exercising, managing obesity and treating obesity and body mass index? The body mass index and prevalence will be used in the literature search because they are closely related to obesity.

Data

Data is commonly discrete facts presented with little interpretation attached to it. They are normally based on the experiments, surveys or observations of the study(Im, 2011). In my study, I conducted an online research to obtain discrete facts pertaining childhood obesity. The prevalence of the condition among the population and the different types of the intervention that is necessary to be taken to curb with it. Data sources reveals that weight loss of 5-20% of the total body weight helps a lot in reducing the risks associated with the obesity. Drastic reduction of body mass is very difficult to achieve in children and adolescents, therefore they are advised to engage in counseling therapy. Lifestyle change to incorporate change of diet and regular body exercise helps in gradual reduction of body mass index.

There are various bariatric surgical procedures that can be to manage obesity in patients over 15 years. Surgical intervention is most suitable to treat patients with BMI of over 40kg/m2Data suggest that surgical interventions consist of greater percentage of patients who achieve morethan 50% of excess weight gained. In a controlled test experiments of 50 patients aged between 14 and 18 years, whose were recorded to be more than 35kg/m2, 21 of them underwent the surgery and 3 of them were assigned lifestyle intervention. Those who got lifestyle intervention after surgery lost more than 50% of the weight(Emedicine.medscape.com, 2015).

Information

Information is combination of the data and their meanings. Data are process to provide a meaningful picture to the user in a particular context(Topaz, 2013). Information is meaningful if it answers the research questions. In this case, the question is what is better diet and exercise or surgical intervention as a way to treat and manage obesity? From the data provided above, there problem of obesity can be treated and well managed by either lifestyle therapy or surgical intervention. It is suggested that exercise and adietary therapy is best suitable for patients with BMI less than 35km/m2. For patients with BMI more than 35 it is best to take the bariatric surgery option. This information is obtained from the analysis of the available data. From the survey it is indicated that, from the 50 patients 21 of them were able to lose more than 50% percent of the excess weigh through surgery.

Apart from the surgery, data reveals that there are other follow up activities that are a undertaken to ensure maximum weight loss. They include reinforcement of diet discipline and regular physical exercise to manage body mass index. One should also identify social and emotional barriers facingthe patient and conduct counseling therapy.

Knowledge

Information that has been synthesized and formalized is knowledge. A discrete data point constructs meaningful information which is in turn used to develop knowledge. Knowledge is affected by the initial theory of the study and relationships an interactionestablished in the data analysis. It answers the questions as to why something is done the way they are done while basing reasons on the available information(Im, 2011).

In my study, I would Consider bariatric surgery for patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater 35 kg/m 2 because they have severe comorbidities and they are more likely to lose much weight in shorter time. Additionally, one has to be knowledgeable on factor to consider in deciding whether an adolescent or a child should undertake bariatric surgery. Also the follow-up care that should is required for the patients who have undergone surgery.

Wisdom

Wisdom is appropriate use of knowledge to address human problems(Thefreelibrary.com, 2015). In nursing, wisdom is applicable in knowing why certain steps, procedures or undertakings are implemented in healthcare nursing practices(Im, 2011). It assists nurses to recognize the conditions of the patients and decide on the necessary interventions to be taken. Wisdom involves intuition, senses, knowledge, and judgment to detect the environment and react appropriately(Topaz, 2013). The wisdom component provides decisional support tools that help nurses to act in accordance to the knowledge acquired in the early experiences.

Conclusion

In nursing research, meaningful use of data requires proper analysis. This is to communicate useful information that will be used to build a knowledge base for future use. The conceptual model of the research information available on journals and an electronic media provides a clear framework necessary to give understanding of the historical, current and futures store of knowledge, facts and information(Thefreelibrary.com, 2015). Knowledge management is a step by step process where data, information, knowledge continuum is followed(Topaz, 2013).Data, information, knowledge, wisdom framework however does not suggest a strict relation between a discreet data should exclusively lead to generation of specific knowledge (LOOMAN et al., 2012).

References

Emedicine.medscape.com,. (2015). Obesity in Children Treatment & Management: Approach Considerations, Behavioral Treatment, Lifestyle Modifications, Exercise, and Physical Activity. Retrieved 16 September 2015, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/985333-treatment#d12

Im, E. (2011). Transitions theory: A trajectory of theoretical development in nursing. Nursing Outlook, 59(5), 278-285.e2. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2011.03.008

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2009). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

LOOMAN, W., ERICKSON, M., GARWICK, A., CADY, R., KELLY, A., PETTEY, C., & FINKELSTEIN, S. (2012). Meaningful Use of Data in Care Coordination by the Advanced Practice RN.CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 30(12), 649-654. doi:10.1097/nxn.0b013e318266caf2

Thefreelibrary.com,. (2015). Health Information Managers have a role to play in the transformation of data. – Free Online Library. Retrieved 16 September 2015, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Health+Information+Managers+have+a+role+to+play+in+the+transformation…-a0231089014

Topaz, M. (2013).Knowledge-Information-Wisdom framework to guide informatics research.