
How Data Governance Is Connected With The Healthcare Sector?
Out of all the different sectors, healthcare tops the list in need of a comprehensive data governance policy. Healthcare data is incredibly huge, which includes patient records, MRIs, blood test reports, drug prescriptions, EKGs, and many such medical details.
The data governance process helps to store and manage the data securely. Data is a digital asset for the healthcare industry. Medical professionals can make an educated decision about patient care using accurate healthcare data.
As per the US law [HIPAA], covered entities like the insurers, hospitals, and those process PHI [Protected health information] are legally liable for the privacy and security of medical data. If ignored, the OCR [Office of civil rights] levies HIPAA fines. It is therefore necessary to design a solid data governance plan for your healthcare facility to eliminate or reduce the fine amount [in case of a breach].
Healthcare data exposures
Data governance training from Data Management University can help you identify healthcare data vulnerabilities and address them in your governance program.
- Understand core data workflows before strategizing a healthcare governance program for efficient processing. Thus lessening fines and penalties.
- In this age of computerization & data sharing has the potential to reform the healthcare sector in a better way. So, to allow data flow securely and freely across the entire healthcare organization make sure everyone associated speaks the same data language.
- There is an increase in mergers & acquisitions and e-healthcare data across the healthcare sector. This has triggered a gigantic data governance challenge. Companies competent to deal with the ever-increasing data volume will thrive and earn great profits.
Tips to implement a resilient healthcare data governance program
- Categorize and label your file system. Search each file for PHI [[Protected health information] and tag them as sensitive.
- Position data owners in the control of data. Give them the power to remove and add access as necessary as well as regularly audit permissions.
- Stale data is an easy target for data thieves. Discover this obsolete data and delete it if possible.
- Build a data governance team including data owners, data managers, and data analysts. Many companies hire a Chief Data Officer [CDO], who works with the data managers to ensure data governance compliance.
- Data governance goals have to be defined and understood clearly. Create realistic benchmarks to help you gauge the implemented progress. Every member of the governance team must be aware of their tasks and responsibilities. They need to be allowed to offer feedback; listen to peer’s opinions, and work through departmental policies to attain their goals.
- Identify data creation, analysis, storage, and reporting processes regularly to uncover pain points. Pay close attention to vulnerable areas that can directly affect patient’s privacy, safety, and compliance.
- While designing specific rules and policies, pay attention to authority, accountability, engagement rules, managing cross-functional disputes, stewardship, change management, decision rights & making, resolving problems, creating & enforcing the rules, creating value, and cost management. Ensure that these principles are made known to every member across the organization. Make sure buy-in for enhancement is widespread from top to low hierarchy.
Actionable insights help to offer value-based care to the patients in the healthcare sector!