How does data differ from information?

• A. Data has limited meaning, depending on its storage location.
• B. Information is the same as data.
• C. Data has no meaning on its own merit.
• D. None of the above.

Answer: (C)

Data are raw facts and figures—numbers, codes, measurements—without context. Information comes from organizing, interpreting, and presenting those data with meaning for a specific purpose. In healthcare, a single vital sign reading is data; when you analyze it over time and relate it to a patient’s condition and care plan, it becomes information that informs decisions. That’s why this statement is the best: data have no meaning on their own and require context and processing to become information. The idea that meaning depends on storage location isn’t correct, since where data is stored doesn’t create meaning. Likewise, information isn’t simply data; it’s data that has been structured and interpreted.