Spontaneous Order Capture Rate (SOCR): A Methodological Proposal for Measuring Tacit Knowledge Loss in Clinical Settings

This working paper proposes the Spontaneous Order Capture Rate (SOCR) — a quantitative metric designed to measure what percentage of welfare-generating informal care practices in a clinical setting are absent from formal documentation. Grounded in Hayek's knowledge problem, Menger's subjective value theory, Polanyi's tacit knowledge epistemology, and Kirzner's entrepreneurial alertness, SOCR is operationalised through a structured ethnographic methodology developed during six weeks of fieldwork at Manipal Hospice and Respite Care (MHRC), India, Summer 2026. Formula derivation, weighting protocol, validity analysis, and an illustrative application to MHRC data are presented in full.