October 24, 2026
Technology is a tool. People can use technology to support cognitive needs. At a basic level, people need access to data and information to make decisions. However, those decisions must also be based on knowledge for the most effective outcomes.
For example, consider something as simple as the name of an over-the-counter medication. While many are familiar with the brand name of Tylenol, fewer are familiar that the active ingredient in the brand Tylenol, is acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is the generic name of the medication. Acetaminophen can be purchased over the counter as well as a generic brand, often located right next to the Tylenol. They both have the same active ingredient. However, the prices are often different. While not everyone is exposed to this knowledge, every nurse, pharmacist, doctor learns it as part of their educational preparation.
Now, what if there was a way to bridge this knowledge gap for patients and people who could use this insight while deciding about what medication to buy at CVS or Walgreens? This is a place where technology could be helpful to other humans by being a knowledge resource as it is unlikely the pharmacist could answer every over-the-counter medication question that comes through each day. In this example, the direct beneficiary would be the person (who may or may not be considered a patient at that time). Healthcare or the care of health is a daily ongoing event, not just when one needs to see a doctor or go to the hospital.
A second example where additional knowledge would be beneficial is in the hospital setting. In the example I am about to share, the direct beneficiary of the additional knowledge is the nurse. What you may or may not know is that nurses often are looking for equipment around the unit to assist with administering medications. Many intravenous medications require a piece of equipment called a syringe pump. Syringe pumps are notoriously hard to find on a patient care unit.
So, sometimes nurses, who know they will need a syringe pump will proactively seek one out ahead of the scheduled medication time. They may search supply rooms, empty rooms,and/or other places where there may be a syringe pump. There is no systematic way to identify this essential piece of equipment to deliver meds. The patient may never know the struggle the nurse is facing trying to make sure the medication is delivered on time.
If one is found, the nurse may opt to hide it somewhere for later. However, what if this did not have to happen? What if there was a way to tag the equipment and link it to a find my equipment search tool available for nurses across the hospital? We know the technology exists. We know there is a need. The benefit would be to the nurses directly and indirectly to the patients.
I just offered two very simple examples of how humans could benefit from more knowledge to make informed decisions. The additional knowledge can come through technology solutions that would benefit the person or user seeking out answers. While these two examples are relatively simple in terms of the problem, they do represent the approach that offers a human need for an answer that can be supported through technology. We must keep this perspective in mind as new technologies are presented that may or may not be solving a problem faced by a human.
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