From the November 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
The stakes could not be higher, because the health of individuals and the health of the organization depend on it. While many believe they can address the data and information risks with IT investment, an effective strategy involves much more than just the technology. A successful strategy is based on the understanding that enterprise information is an organizational asset that needs to be used optimally to benefit the organization and, specifically in this case, PHM. Approaching enterprise information in this way implies that it is necessary to have oversight or governance that includes coordination, integration and prioritization.
Driven by clinical and business stakeholders at all levels, an effective information governance (IG) strategy will assure that the information needs of clinical and business decision- makers are identified, prioritized and met. Foremost among these needs is analytics capability. Analytics are necessary to address care gaps, predict resource needs, describe outcomes and manage the ongoing financial risks associated with PHM. The data on clinical and business decision-making are what drive these analytics. But without appropriate policies, processes and education that enable data standardization, definitions, and metrics, analytics are not possible.
An IG program provides the framework for supporting the analytics necessary for PHM. In addition to enterprise information of all types and from all sources, its scope will include data and information that must be procured, captured or curated from external sources. An IG program also requires strong leadership and the development of organizational capabilities that will enable it to demonstrate value. The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) Information Governance Adoption Model (IGAM) helps organizations develop these capabilities so that they can be successful with PHM as well as any other initiative that requires robust, trustworthy data and information.
About the author: Lydia Mays Washington, MS, RHIA, CPHIMS, is senior director of Information Governance (IG) at AHIMA, where she consults, provides industry analysis, identifies best practices and serves as an educator on information governance in health care.Back to HCB News
