Data Governance in Healthcare: What You Should Know About Your Health Data
Data governance in healthcare is all about managing and protecting the huge amount of information. Most of which is now digital. Did you know that healthcare organizations handle about 30% of the world’s data? Mistakes in this data can have serious effects.
For example, 21% of patients have found important errors in their medical records. It can lead to misdiagnosis or medication mistakes. Data governance helps make sure your health data is accurate, safe. And follows rules like HIPAA and GDPR.
In this article, you’ll find out why it’s important for healthcare providers to understand data governance.
What is Data Governance in Healthcare?
Data Governance might sound like a significant, complicated term, but it’s not as hard as you think. AHIMA says Data Governance is about managing data with clear rules. It ensures the data is available, accurate, secure, and easy to use.
Healthcare creates a lot of data daily. It has patient records, medical studies, and financial info. This data is important. It helps treat patients and cut costs. However, as more data is generated, it becomes harder to manage and keep it accurate, complete, and secure.
This is where data governance comes in. It provides a system for handling data throughout life, from collection and storage to processing, analysis, and sharing.
By setting up rules and policies for managing data, you can ensure that it remains reliable and secure. This will also help you comply with rules and regulations.
Why Is Data Governance in Healthcare Important?
Data governance in healthcare is really important for several reasons:
Patient Safety
You want the best care possible, right? Data governance helps make sure all the patient data is accurate and safe. This accuracy can actually save lives.
For example, over 250,000 people in the U.S. die each year because of medical mistakes. Having good data can help prevent these errors and keep you safe.
Compliance
Healthcare organizations must follow specific rules, such as HIPAA. They protect your private information. Data governance helps these organizations meet the rules.
If you’re making a healthcare app, it must meet privacy standards. This will protect users’ privacy. Good compliance isn’t just about following the law; it’s also about building trust. After all, who doesn’t want to feel secure knowing their personal data is safe?
Cost Savings
Data governance isn’t just about safety. It can save money, too. By analyzing data, organizations can find ways to use resources better and reduce waste.
For example, they can save up to 20% by improving how they use equipment and supplies. And who wouldn’t want to cut costs while still providing top-notch care?
Security
Finally, keeping your data secure is a top priority. Healthcare data breaches can be really expensive and harmful. On average, a breach costs about $7.13 million.
Good data governance includes strong security measures to keep your information safe from hackers and other threats. It’s like locking your front door. You want to make sure your personal stuff stays safe, right?
Benefits of Data Governance in Healthcare
Health data can bring many benefits that directly impact the healthcare system:
Better Patient Care with Connected Systems
Imagine if all your health records could talk to each other. They are from your doctor’s office, hospitals, and your fitness tracker. This is called interoperability. It’s key to improving your care. The Health Data Collaborative says that it’s a big challenge to make these systems work together. However, it’s also very important for better health outcomes.
Your health data comes from many sources. They include EHRs, medical devices, health surveys, and clinical trials. However, those that collect the data often keep it separate.
If we have rules and policies for sharing data, different systems can easily use it. This means your care will be better. It will be more coordinated, and it will reduce unnecessary tests.
More Efficient Health Services and Resources
Data governance is like organizing a vast library of health info. It helps in collecting, storing, and accessing your data more efficiently. This makes healthcare services better for you.
It also helps get rid of duplicate information. If your doctor sees your blood pressure rising at each visit, they can quickly assess it. They can decide if you need medication or lifestyle changes.
Boosting Innovation and Research in Healthcare
Good data governance helps you. It also benefits the entire healthcare system. Researchers can get the information they need. So, clear rules for accessing and sharing data are important.
This can lead to new discoveries and treatments. So, you play a part in helping scientists understand health trends and find better ways to treat diseases!
Following Healthcare Rules and Standards
Data governance helps ensure that healthcare organizations follow important rules and standards. One example of these rules is HIPAA, which protects patient privacy. These rules protect your privacy.
HIPAA requires organizations to use or share only the needed health info. A good data governance system ensures healthcare providers follow these rules. It keeps your data safe and handles it ethically.
How to Implement Data Governance in Healthcare Organizations?
Implementing data governance in healthcare might sound complex, but it’s all about keeping data accurate, secure, and used the right way. Let’s take a look into simple steps that you can follow.
1. Start with a Clear Framework
Think about what you want to achieve with data governance. Is it to improve data quality, keep patient data secure, or make sure you’re following laws like HIPAA?
Once you know your goals, decide what data you need to focus on. It could be patient records, billing info, or even data from medical devices.
Build Your Data Governance Team
You can’t do this alone, so gather a team from different areas of your organization. Include people from IT, legal, and clinical departments. Having diverse perspectives helps cover all the bases.
Don’t forget to appoint a leader, like a Chief Data Officer, who will guide the team and make important decisions.
Create Rules and Standards
You can’t do this alone, so gather a team from different areas of your organization. Include people from IT, legal, and clinical departments. Having diverse perspectives helps cover all the bases.
Don’t forget to appoint a leader, like a Chief Data Officer, who will guide the team and make important decisions.
2. Protect and Manage Your Data
Make a list of all the data your organization has. Then, classify it based on how sensitive it is. For instance, patient health records are highly sensitive and need extra protection.
Keep Data Quality High
Your data should always be accurate, complete, and up-to-date. Always check for mistakes and fix them quickly. This could mean correcting wrong patient details or updating old records.
Ensure Data Security and Privacy
Protect your data with strong security measures like encryption and secure passwords. It’s also essential to follow privacy laws to keep patient information safe. Check and update your security rules often to keep things safe.
3. Assign Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Assign people to be responsible for different types of data, like clinical or financial data. These data stewards ensure the data is correct and well-maintained. Clearly define who owns the data and who manages the systems that store it.
Train Your Team and Raise Awareness
It’s important for everyone in your organization to know why data governance matters. Make sure to give them training on the best ways to protect patient data. This way, you can build a culture where everyone takes responsibility for data security and quality.
4. Use the Right Tools
Use tools that help organize and manage your data. For example, data cataloging tools can help you keep track of where your data is stored and who can access it. These tools can also help you automate tasks like checking for compliance or monitoring data quality.
Ensure Systems Work Together
Make sure all your systems can share data easily. This means using standardized data formats and ensuring different databases can communicate without issues.
5. Monitor and Improve
Decide how you’ll measure the success of your data governance program. Use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like data accuracy rates or response times to data incidents.
Keep Improving
Always look for ways to improve. Collect feedback from your team and update your data governance practices as needed. Keep up with new technologies and rules to ensure your program stays current and effective.
6. Stay Compliant and Manage Risks
Make sure your data practices comply with healthcare regulations like HIPAA. This includes protecting patient data and conducting regular audits to ensure compliance.
Manage Risks
Identify potential risks like data breaches or unauthorized access. Develop strategies to reduce these risks, such as having a solid incident response plan or providing security training to your staff.
What is HIPAA Data Governance?
HIPAA Data Governance helps healthcare groups handle patient data safely. It sets the rules for protecting your health data.
- Privacy and Security Rules: These rules are a shield for your health info. The Privacy Rule keeps your medical records private. The Security Rule protects electronic health info from hackers and other threats.
- Access Controls: Not everyone should have access to your data. So, healthcare organizations use passwords and special permissions. They ensure that only the right people can see your information. They also keep track of who looks at your data and when.
- Data Accuracy and Quality: Imagine if your medical records had errors! So, organizations must check and fix data to keep it accurate. They have rules for entering, storing, and managing your info.
- Data Retention and Disposal: HIPAA says healthcare organizations must keep your records for a set time. After that, they must dispose of them securely to protect your privacy.
- Risk Management and Compliance: Regular checks are a must. Healthcare organizations often do risk assessments. They aim to find and fix weak spots in their data protection. This helps them stay compliant with HIPAA rules and protect your information.
- Training and Awareness: It’s not just about technology. People working in healthcare need to know the rules, too. That’s why they get training on HIPAA and how to protect patient data. This training is essential for all, from doctors to admins.
- Incident Response and Reporting: Lastly, if a data breach occurs, there must be a plan. Organizations have plans for quickly responding to such incidents. They will inform you and the authorities if needed.
To make sure your data is handled with the best care, healthcare organizations need to focus on data governance. This means having clear rules and systems to protect and manage your information.
How TDP Can Help You with Data Governance in Healthcare?
Partner with TDP to streamline your healthcare data governance. We offer the right tools, expert guidance, and solutions to help you manage, secure, and utilize your data effectively. Let us support your journey in improving patient safety, compliance, and operational efficiency.