Action taken: Manual override. Referred to emergency housing panel. Reflection: The system did not account for relational dependency. I intervened to prevent escalation.
Why it matters: The record includes system data, staff judgment, citizen voice and ethical reflection. It restores presence and accountability.
Example 2: Healthcare Triage Appeal Context: A patient appeals a digital triage decision that denied urgent care. A clinician reviews the case manually.
Dialogic Entry: Reviewed by: Dr. A. Khan, GP Date: 22 June 2025 Bot decision: “Symptoms do not meet urgent criteria” Patient statement: “I’ve had chest pain for days. I’m scared.” Clinical judgment: Symptoms consistent with angina. Immediate referral required. Action: Referral to cardiology. Patient contacted directly. Reflection: The bot missed contextual cues. Manual review restored safety.
Why it matters: The record documents the system’s limitation, the patient’s voice and the clinician’s ethical stance. It becomes a site of repair.
This chapter will offer examples of dialogic records; moments where staff and citizens co-create meaning, where testimony is preserved, and where silence is broken. It will also explore the ethics of documentation: who gets to speak, who is heard and how power shapes the system or archive.
The author closes this opening section with a civic truth: the record is not passive, it is a form of presence. When the record speaks, repair becomes possible.
Here are three examples of dialogic documentation, drawn from UK institutional contexts. Each example shows how staff and citizens co-create a record that holds presence, judgment and relational meaning; moving beyond procedural notes to civic witness.
Example 1: Housing Override Log Context: A housing officer reviews an application flagged as “non-urgent” by the triage system. The applicant is a carer for a disabled parent, recently displaced due to unsafe conditions.
Dialogic Entry: Override recorded by: J. Patel, Housing Officer Date: 14 March 2025 System recommendation: Non-urgent (score 42) Staff judgment: Urgent due to safeguarding risk and carer responsibilities Citizen statement: “I’m not asking for special treatment. I just need somewhere safe to sleep.”
