Figure 2.
Wisdom, Knowledge, Information, Data pyramid in clinical cancer genomics. In the era of big data, genomic sequencing, and precision medicine, ethically sensitive physicians must attend to the differences between data and information, moving up the ladder to knowledge. Seasoned physicians having spent decades in practice may still strive for wisdom, but we would assert that knowledge will suffice. Data are often accompanied by background noise, and the transition to information may mark an actionable point. For other patients, however, the bar may be higher, and they would take action only at the point of knowledge. Physicians in the 21st century must be able to distinguish among these categories, apply them in the clinical setting, and develop communication skills that will allow them to share the uncertainty.