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Data Management
The need for quality data is essential to all aspects of today’s healthcare system. Adverse events and misinformed healthcare decisions can occur as a result of poor clinical data. The evolution of electronics and expanding secondary data usage has healthcare organizations taking a new look at how they manage data to meet strategic objectives.
The various aspects of data management include:
- Data governance and stewardship
- Data capture and maintenance
- Data quality
- Data analysis
- Data standards
Secondary uses of data may include, for example:
- Measuring the quality, safety (or medical errors), and efficacy of care
- Making clinical decisions based on output from multiple systems
- Enabling the connectivity of information systems for continuity of care
- Designing payment systems and processing claims for reimbursement
- Conducting research, epidemiological studies, and clinical trials
- Setting health policy
- Designing healthcare delivery systems
- Monitoring resource utilization
- Improving clinical, financial, and administrative performance
- Identifying fraudulent or abusive practices
- Managing care and disease processes
- Tracking public health and risks
- Providing data to consumers regarding costs and outcomes of treatment options
HIM professionals play a critical role in data management by leading initiatives related to standards, technology, education, and research that are vital to capturing, using, and maintaining accurate healthcare data.
AHIMA has multiple data management-related resources: