Jason Bingham, MD, FACS, Editor

Carly Eckert, MD, MPH, Editor

Matthew Eckert, MD, FACS, Editor

Doctors put drugs of which they know little into bodies of which they know less for diseases of which they know nothing at all.—Voltaire (1694-1770)

While it is evident from this quote that Voltaire had little reverence for physicians, the modern practice of medicine would likely be unrecognizable to him. Since the days of Voltaire, evidence-based medicine (EBM), the basis of which has evolved over a century, has become the guiding principle of modern medical practice. More recently, the digital revolution has resulted in an explosion of data together with improved methods for collecting, processing, and understanding large and diverse types of data. This rapid expansion of clinical knowledge and the correspondingly ever-shortening half-life of relevant information are often expressed as an expansion of the “five V’s of information” (ie, volume, velocity, variety, value, and veracity). Under this paradigm, traditional methods of data analysis and knowledge creation are simply inadequate. Thus, the next phase in the evolution of EBM will undoubtedly become more and more intertwined with emerging technologies.

In this issue of Surgical Clinics, we explore the impact of the digital revolution in health care and how it affects our patients. The intent of this issue is to provide a framework to understand how data are used in surgical decision making and equip surgeons with modern tools necessary to properly evaluate evidence in the era of big data. We believe that technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computerized decision support tools have the potential to allow for more personalized, comprehensive medical care and are likely to play a central role in charting the future of evidence-based practice. In this rapidly developing knowledge economy, it is imperative that surgeons understand, shape, and implement these advancements into their clinical practices and research.

We would like to thank Dr Ronald Martin, Consulting Editor, for providing the vision and opportunity to contribute as well as the team at Elsevier for their support and assistance in bringing this issue to completion. We are also extremely grateful to the authors for generously contributing their time and expertise. We hope this issue serves as a timely reference to how we create, manage, interpret, and apply data in the surgical care of our patients.

Article infoIdentification

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.suc.2023.01.001

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© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.

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