Social justice informatics: A critical approach for the future

Given the longstanding inequities clarified by the pandemic, the time has come for nursing informatics to adopt the goals of social justice and equity as its primary focus. Social justice informatics (SJI) is an emerging field that leverages the power of data, information, and technology in pursuit of advancing equity through collaboration with diverse communities. We propose that an SJI orientation should be adopted to change the paradigms of power by placing communities at the center of the work and ensuring future informatics work is free from unintended consequences. However, to support this, legacy practices and policies will need to be replaced, which is discussed using the exemplar of academic systems. While this process will not be easy, it is hoped that by committing to and refining the vision presented here we will create a society that more accurately reflects our shared values of equity and prosperity. Cite this article: Heitkemper, E.M., Thurman, W., (2022, May/June). Social justice informatics: A critical approach for the future. Nurs Outlook, 70(3), 374-376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.02.008.

Automated summary

Considering the inequalities highlighted by the pandemic, it is time for nursing informatics to prioritize social justice and equity. Social justice informatics is an emerging field that utilizes data, information, and technology to advance equity through collaboration with diverse communities. This article proposes adopting a social justice informatics approach to shift power paradigms, center communities in the work, and ensure that future informatics work avoids unintended consequences.