In every industry, some will work tirelessly performing their mission. Some of those will ponder if there are more effective means to accomplish or perfect the mission. Still, only some of those will develop and share their ideas and revelations. Unfortunately, many of those who do may broadcast their insights no further than their closest co-workers or their families.

The Structured Conversation is here today because I noted that many people do not understand the informational objectives of the conversations in which they engage. As an emergency physician, these conversations often require a detailed explanation of symptoms for doctors, like me, to formulate a diagnosis — and impact their health.

Worse, I realized that some conversational participants were unaware that conversations even had tangible and measurable goals. I realized that on a societal level the informational goals of conversation were needed not only to make the populace (and patients) better conversationalists but, of greater imperative, those lacking appreciation of the informational goals of conversation seemed to be challenged with the acquisition of information as well.

Through tens-of-thousands of patient conversations, and through my work as a CMIO converting millions of medical conversations into structured electronic information, the Structured Conversation was born. Fundamentally, the initial goal to inform the public of the informational objectives of the medical conversation remains, but more broadly, to teach students to consider & appreciate the informational objectives of all of their conversations.

This blog seeks courageous individuals who might be willing to acknowledge deficiencies in our educational systems, have realized a more effective means to teach or perfect our ‘educational mission’, have observations to contribute, or are willing to share their ideas, revelations, and insights — and seek a hill from which to shout it from.

Welcome! This hill is yours. Stand here and shout out your ideas, or read the ideas of others who believe that our educational approaches require evolution, growth, and progression to meet the needs of a rapidly changing, information-centric, world of enterprise and industry.