The Foundation Of Your Strategy
Data governance defines how an organization manages its data assets, and, in a digital world, how improved decision-making should be operationalized. This calls for an appropriate authority model to manage data functions. Many healthcare leaders understand the importance of data governance, but struggle to:
- Understand where their data lives and how to access it
- Put in place effective processes to protect data from threats of inappropriate release and access and
- Acquire and develop the right resources and skillsets to manage healthcare data.
To access the very latest thinking on the subject, we have gathered the experience of KPMGs leading global D& A professionals and interviewed healthcare CEOs and CIOs to better understand their concerns and ambitions. Our framework for designing and implementing data governance aims to demystify the topic and helps to overcome common challenges and pitfalls, by outlining practical steps to effectively manage enterprise data assets.
First, we define data governance and its key elements. Appreciating the importance of data stewardship, ownership, policies, and standards lays the groundwork for sustainable governance. We highlight some of the typical data governance traps that healthcare organizations fall into when beginning their D& A journey.
Finally, we explore other important considerations, such as protecting information privacy , data sharing , and enabling technologies for data management.
Why Is Data Governance In Healthcare Important
These days, digital information is gold. This is true in many industries, including healthcare. Organizations strategically use health information in all kinds of ways, including to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, or enhance the safety and quality of patient care.
So to understand why data governance in healthcare is important, you must think of health data as a strategic asset. Like any other organizational asset , this information requires ongoing monitoring. Data governance provides a formal structure for data management so organizations can extract clinical and business value.
Simply stated, data governance in healthcare is important, because it is vital for caregivers and leadership to have access to the right information at the right time and in the right format so that proper clinical and business decisions can be made.
Identify And Recruit The Early Adopters
The next step is to survey the list of intersecting priorities identified in step 2, note the accountable leaders for each and identify which of these leaders are likely early adopters of data governance. Energetic leaders who truly understand the importance of data governance should be top of mind. Once each group establishes its governance objectives, these leaders often naturally become the champions of the organizations new data governance program.
Creating a list of desired characteristics for a data governance leader launches the search for early adopters. Geoffrey
Moores book Crossing the Chasm offers valuable insights into important characteristics of effective early adopters:
- Connections: Early adopters need to be connected to the right resources.
- Enthusiasm: Because early adopters motivate others to get on board, they must understand what needs to be done and why and be excited to get to work.
- A deep understanding of data governance: Early adopters should understand data governance on more than a casual level and be aware of the challenges and benefits. Such awareness fuels the drive necessary to break through the inertia early in the programs development.
As the list of candidates grows, some questions that probe each persons understanding of the benefits of data governance will help narrow down the list to those most likely to carry the data governance program across the finish line. Consider questions such as the following:
Don’t Miss: Government Benefits For Legally Blind
Hims Role In Data Governance
Professionals leading data governance initiatives within an organization must be able to:
- Develop policies and procedures that support data governance efforts.
- Educate all members of the organization about the importance of data governance and how it relates to their roles.
- Leverage clinical, financial, and administrative data to support key organizational initiatives.
- Measure the return on investment on information governance initiatives.
Those working in data governance in healthcare must also be able to bridge gaps between departments so that everyone works together toward the common goal of making information complete, accurate, reliable, available, interoperable, and secure. Skills such as project management, leadership, and team building are critical.
What Is Data Governance And How Does It Apply To Health Care
Data governance determines whos authorized to access, use, and manage data. According to the Data Governance Institute, data governance is a system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes, executed according to agreed-upon models which describe who can take what actions with what information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods.
In the context of health care, data governance applies to a health care facilitys patient and operational data, such as electronic health records . Strong data governance helps ensure patient safety and enable effective strategies for visualizing, interpreting, and analyzing health data.
Data governance in health care allows physicians, surgeons, and nurses to store patient data securely, so they can trust that the data hasnt been tampered with when they access it again. As data grows over time, professionals can access patient records to identify medical patterns. For example, during a routine examination, a doctor records a patients blood pressure. If the patients blood pressure is higher at the next checkup, and higher again at the checkup after that, the doctor can use the recorded data to draw conclusions about the patient. Using the information stored in the patients EHR, the doctor can prescribe medication or help the patient establish a plan for lowering high blood pressure.
Read Also: Government Contracting Company For Sale
Principle : Enable A Modern Workplace: Anywhere Anytime With Anyone
The GC strives to be an innovative organization that:
- provides its employees with modern technology that supports information retrieval, use, sharing and collaboration by making information and data accessible when and where needed
- provides customizable tools and resources with minimized learning requirements for users
- provides automated, digital processes in support of better services
- attracts, retains and encourages public servants to work smarter and be innovative, greener and healthier so that they better serve Canadians
Early thinking on new digital principles is in progress in support of the shift to digital .
Train And Identify Key Personnel
Create a cross-functional data governance team with data managers, data owners, and data analysts. Data owners are the keepers of their data. They know who has and should have access to their data and are the people closest to their data. Many organizations are adding a Chief Data Officer that is responsible for the entire organizations data governance. The CDO leads the data managers in the day-to-day governance operations.
Read Also: Social Security Office Government St
Data Analytics And Health Information Management
Health record science and health information management are evolving to address the changing secondary use of patient data, introducing concepts from data science. The data scientist is an evolution of the data analyst/business analyst role and can be defined as one who is involved in the âacquisition and interpretation of data for business intelligence functions within the organizationâ . The data scientist analyzes and interprets data into information and seeks new innovative sources of information from the available data. Data stewardship is primarily responsible for information and data governance in health care, while data analysis uses data and information for predictive modeling to inform clinical care and as a management tool for health care performance management .
Digital transformation will have a large impact on operational processes within performance management . Data analytics is an important part of performance management as it allows managers to make decisions on real information rather than on historical performance or assumptions. With the forecasted explosion in data over the next three years , health service managers are looking for ways to invest in improved data collection and build a new workforce to support the collection of data and analysis for performance management .
The Importance Of Data Governance In Healthcare
Data governance is important for a healthcare organization because these organizations deal with large volumes of sensitive data, are faced with numerous complex regulations, and are typically rather siloed in operation. Data governance helps because healthcare organizations unlock the value of their data so they can use their data to make impactful decisions.
Read Also: Government Employee Discounts Universal Studios Orlando
Quantitative Laboratory Results Should Have A Clearly Available Reference Range With Low Or High Results Flagged Appropriately
Domain: Patient Safety & Data Quality
Real-World Context: Laboratory results often have different reference ranges from different labs, thereby obscuring the clinician comprehension of lab values relative to normal values.
Why Important? When clinicians miss low or high flags on a laboratory result, they may miss something critical to patient care. Having well-structured data helps prevent oversight, make clinicians more effective EHR users and allows data to be effectively integrated into downstream analytics and population health.
The Relationship Between Information And Data Governance
Barclay T. Blair, Executive Director of the US-based think tank Information Governance Initiative explains the difference between Information Governance and Data Governance as follows:
The two are executed in different parts of the company, by different people, with different tools, with different practical goals. Whereas Information Governance is mostly concerned with risk mitigation, Data Governance is mostly concerned with things like data quality, master data management, and dashboards enabled by a common schema. Of course, in concept both disciplines encompass both risk and value, but in practice this is what it typically looks like.
Typically, information and data is managed by various owners throughout an organisation including:
- Data Chief Data Officer
- Privacy Chief Privacy Officer or General Counsel
- Cybersecurity Chief Information Security Officer
- Risk & Compliance Chief Compliance Officer
- Records RIM Manager
- eDiscovery eDiscovery Counsel or General Counsel
In recent years, a new role of Chief Information Governance Officer for overall responsibility of information has emerged to ensure Information Governance and organisational objectives are met.
Whether the leader is an Information Governance steering committee, a designated C-level executive within their current existing role or a CIGO, the task is to successfully align Information Governance systems , processes and people to meet the organisations overall strategic business objectives.
Also Check: Money For Homeschooling From The Government
Ensure That Your Business Goals Inform Your Data Management Strategy
Data governance systems that are not fine-tuned to your organizations business goals and strategy will not get an organization far and may even be counterproductive. Hospital systems, health insurers and others in the healthcare field face multiple different motivations, ranging from patient outcomes to financial performance to Medicare and other insurance payments. Thats why its essential to start from the beginning, usually by having the business development team meet with data governance professionals to design a program that works for the organization. This plan might select a handful of specific ways that data might be used to further the organizations goals and then outline structural ways for the organization to help the fledgling data governance team achieve those goals. When discussing your goals and how to meet them, it may be useful to consider what kinds of insights you hope to draw from your data and how you can best extract them.
Explore A Rewarding Career In Data Governance
During a time of crisis or not, data governance plays an essential role in health care. It allows facilities to protect patient records and allows doctors to recognize trends over time. Individuals interested in the role of data governance in health care can explore Ohio Universitys Online Master of Business Analytics. The program is designed to help individuals cultivate the core skills needed to provide optimal data governance. If youre interested in pursuing a career as an analytics professional, learn more about how the program can help you pursue your professional goals.
You May Like: Government Help With Student Loan Debt
Data Governance In Health Information Management
by Angela Guess
Paula Mauro of the Journal of AHIMA recently wrote, Health information management principles that support timely, accurate and complete data collection and release are part of the key to meeting recent National Quality Strategy goals aimed at improving healthcare service delivery, patient health outcomes, and population health. The HIM professionals role in meeting these goals is defined by their ability to combine emerging technologies with innovative processes, says Bonnie Cassidy, MPA, RHIA, FHIMSS, FAHIMA, vice president of HIM Innovation at Nuance. Her October 3 session at the AHIMA Convention and Exhibit will explore why HIM professionals are ideally suited to be leaders in information governance and help ensure integrity across all types of data and stakeholders. In the below Q and A, Cassidy discusses what information governance is, whats brought it to the forefront now, and the emerging ways that HIM professionals will be involved.
Ensure Your Governance Team Know The Data Theyre Working With
Once your data governance plan is underway, its essential to employ data governance professionals who are familiar with the context of the data that they will be working with. For example, suppose your organization works in cancer research. In that case, people who have experience in the field and with the kinds of data involved may be more qualified to manage governance than employees with no background in cancer research and treatment. One of the most critical tasks data governance professionals undertake is data organization and upkeep. So it is helpful for them to glance at any given piece of data and have a clear idea of what it is, what it could mean and where it should go.
Don’t Miss: Can The Government Mandate A Vaccine
With A Proper Health Data Governance Strategy Healthcare Organizations Can Guarantee That Ehr Data Of The Highest Quality Is Available To Provider And Patients
The American Health Information Management Association continues to stress the importance of effective EHR data management and appropriate changes to clinical processes and workflows in the wake of rapid rates of EHR adoption and the growing need for accurate, timely information for high-quality patient care.
The complexity of technology and the associated process and workflow changes associated with it can result in unintended consequences, it stated the association. While IG recognizes the importance of technology, it realigns the focus from being solely on technology to the people and policies generate and manage data and information for safe, high quality care.
Health data governance is also useful for supporting patient engagement strategies for healthcare organizations interested in allowing patients greater access to their own electronic health information.
IG addresses the need for transparency, accuracy, and integrity of information shared with patients, stated AHIMA. This is absolutely essential for patients to have confidence in their providers and fully participate as members of their healthcare team.
Well-established data governance best practices as well as new developments in data provenance and EHR use guidelines can assist providers in optimizing health IT for improved patient health outcomes.
Data governance best practices
READ MORE:Updates on Health IT Interoperability Progress from CMS, ONC
Solutions for maintaining health data integrity
Get The Free Essential Guide To Us Data Protection Compliance And Regulations
Data Governance is the process and procedure organizations use to manage and protect their data. In this context, data can mean either all or a subset of a companys digital and/or hard copy assets. In the healthcare industry, that data is patient records, blood test results, EKGs, MRIs, billing records, drug prescriptions, and other private medical information.
Healthcare data is the data medical professionals need to make informed decisions about patient care. Data governance provides healthcare organizations with a standardized and structured method of sharing medical data to provide the highest quality of care to every patient.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is the US law that covers the security and privacy of medical information, or in the language of HIPAA, protected health information . Under the law, covered entities, essentially hospitals and insurers, and those that process PHI for them are legally responsible for protecting it.
In 2018, HIPAA fines cost the healthcare industry $28 million alone. The Office of Civil Rights levies HIPAA fines based on the number of PHI records exposed and considers the level of compliance for the offending organization in their inquiry. The HIPAA fines, along with other regulatory requirements for remediation and auditing, help make overall breach costs for healthcare to be among the highest of any industry.
Also Check: How Much Does Government Disability Pay
Do Him Professionals Fit The Bill To Lead The Data Governance Revolution
Perhaps, but most HIM professionals in the workforce say they dont currently have enough training in data governance. A 2015 survey conducted by Cohasset Associates and AHIMA found that only 18 percent of the 1,260 participants strongly agreed that theyre capable of training and educating others on information governance principles. Only 11 percent said they strongly agreed that their organization recognizes them as a data governance expert.
The survey also found that participants were more versed in data governance-related domains such as regulatory compliance, data quality management, and auditing and less versed in domains such as information technology management and analytics.
Bolstering Patient Engagement And Data Access
CMS has made patient access to personal data a top priority for the healthcare industry, and is strongly urging providers to expand their data-driven patient engagement capabilities.
READ MORE:Using Big Data Analytics for Patient Safety, Hospital Acquired Conditions
When we go to the doctors office, we want to be able to have the information about what happened there, said CMS Administrator Seema Verma to HealthITAnalytics.com.
We want to be able to build our record from birth through your entire life. You want to be able to aggregate information from your medical record and from devices so you can put that story together and see what your health looks like.
In order to keep patients engaged, build trust, and ensure their data is meaningful for collaborating around care decisions, providers must ensure that the information is accurate, up to date, and complete.
When patients experience transparency, accuracy, and integrity of information, they will have greater confidence in their providers and become more engaged in their care, the report asserts.
Patients must be able to control who can access their data through patient portals, decide which providers can see sensitive information such as mental health records, and understand how privacy and security regulations can work in their favor.
A complete and accurate record that includes input from all members of an individuals care team can equip patients to actively participate in making important care decisions.
Recommended Reading: State Of Ohio Government Nursing Jobs
