RSNA 2009: Single Source of Truth?
This is the second installment of my discussion following attendance at the RSNA 2009 trade show event at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago. The first installment discussed the faulty findings of one of the research exhibits, followed by my recommendations on how to properly construct the p-chart, a type of statistical quality control chart, provided as part of the exhibit.
Due to its footprint on the trade show floor, even a casual walk through the commercial exhibits would be sure to catch notice of the space occupied by Cerner Corporation, a global supplier of healthcare solutions. As a consultant enterprise architect, however, what immediately caught my attention was Cerner's slogan – apparently trademarked – which reads "Single Source of Truth".
Single Source of Truth? Trademarked? Wait – isn't this a common expression that has been used for years, especially by data architects? My attendance at RSNA 2009 followed shortly after the first of multiple stints at a healthcare insurance company, and I recall the client CIO describing what he needed as "Single Source of Truth". But in revisiting my discussions, I remember that he instead described his needs as "Single Version of the Truth", and later used this phrase interchangeably with "Single Source of Data".