Sharing Medical Data vs. Health Knowledge in Chronic Illness Care

Chronic illnesses are becoming more prevalent worldwide breeding an interest in supporting patient care through electronic health information exchange. Through a study of diabetes patients and the specialists in their care network, the challenges involved in sharing health information from the two perspectives become apparent. There are opportunities in the design of electronic medical information exchange to support the patient’s need for knowledge and specialist’s need for data, bridging the gap that can lead to tensions and inefficiencies in the management of illness trajectories.