Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/821337
33 Executive Briefing healthcare data before it can be explored by analysts for useful insights, according a survey conducted by The New York Times. Nonstandard data processes can make data integration time-in- tensive. It can also lead to data quality issues, such as nonstan- dard data terms that make it impossible to combine data sets from different parts of the same enterprise. A data governance strategy can address the problem of data integration by estab- lishing standard data definitions and vocabularies to be used across the enterprise. An example of this would be setting MM/ DD/YYYY as the standard format for a date. It can also establish quality assurance controls and data audits throughout acquisi- tion, collection and integration processes. ii. Low-quality data diminishes users' trust Ensuring only high-quality data is preserved and stored is criti- cal to supporting clinical and strategic decision making. Feeding low-quality data into analytics programs can produce misleading conclusions that negatively affect the accuracy or timeliness of an organization's or physician's decision making. When this hap- pens, end users won't fully trust the data or the insights it offers, and they won't incorporate it into their daily workflow. As is, fewer than 20 percent of clinicians, healthcare executives and hospital leaders believe their organization's application of data to direct patient care is "extremely effective" or "very effec- tive," according to a 2017 survey conducted by New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst. The majority of respondents rated their organization's data effectiveness somewhere between "ef- fective" (36 percent) or "not very effective" (32 percent), leaving a tremendous amount of room for improvement. Healthcare organizations must address user trust issues in their data governance strategy. Thoughtful data governance helps healthcare organizations build reliable, valid databases healthcare executives and clinical staff feel comfortable using. The first step in gaining executive and clinician trust is setting data standards that ensure data quality and security across the data value continuum. iii. Data is vulnerable to the threat of breaches Protecting the privacy and anonymity of patient health data is paramount. That task becomes more complex when an organi- zation uses a patient's data for purposes that go beyond imme- diate patient care. Storing, transferring and using patient data in multiple capacities increases opportunity for corruption. An inadequate or patchwork security framework may lead to unau- thorized access that undermines patients' and providers' trust, among other repercussions. An organization's data asset strategy should encompass priva- cy and security safeguards. This includes the processes, poli- cies and technologies an organization will use to protect data and information across the organization from breach, corrup- tion and loss. Protection also ensures that information is appro- priately confidential, based on its classification. III. A call to action: Establishing a data asset strategy The aforementioned challenges illustrate the need for compre- hensive data asset strategies. "We have to start treating data as one of the most valuable strategic assets an organization has," Ms. Foster says. To help healthcare leaders create a foundation for their own approach, Ms. Foster recommends IT and busi- ness executives consider the following: • Align. "First, understand the strategic imperatives across your organization. Then make sure you organize your data aggregation practices to match," Ms. Foster says. Strategic alignment supports an information-driven, decision-mak- ing culture and ensures the hospital workforce at all levels has access to the information it needs to make good deci- sions in real time, and it supports the expectation that in- formation is used appropriately and strategically. Hospital trustees should work with senior leadership to ensure that the organization has a comprehensive information gover- nance plan in place that aligns with and helps promote the overarching organization strategy, Ms. Foster says. One way organizations can help to align information man- agement practices is to create a data governance depart- ment. These employees can help break down manage- ment silos between IT, clinical and business departments and ensure each arm of the organization gets the data it needs to make informed, strategic decisions. • Select and Store. Once an organization knows what infor- mation and data it needs, leaders can seek out and select the best possible data source for that project, as well as the most efficient way to process and store it. Technology plays an important role in making sure data is stored securely but is still easily accessible by employees. Some healthcare organizations see value in using technolo- gy platforms to support data asset management across the value continuum. For example, RelayHealth offers a data plat- form that acquires, aggregates and helps store and organize clinical, financial and operational data across various care settings. The platform also supports a variety of data formats, meaning it can deliver data to end users according to their viewing preferences, such as through a mobile device or EHR. • Enrich and Tell. "CEOs, physicians, nurses, board directors — they all have different competencies, different data needs and different preferences for how they want to look at it," Ms. Foster says. A data asset strategy should consider the most ef- fective ways to deliver the right information to the right stake- holder at the right time. For instance, an executive may prefer viewing data on a mobile device in statistical form, whereas a clinician might prefer looking at a graph through the EHR. IV. Conclusion To survive in the changing healthcare landscape, organizations need to define a plan for how to tap into the value of data across their enterprise. This includes building the skills and processes and employing the right enabling technology to transform raw data into information that drives strategic value. With proper sup- port from executive and IT leadership, a data asset strategy helps organizations better position themselves for success under val- ue-based medicine. "When done right, data asset management positively impacts every facet of the business," Ms. Foster said. n RelayHealth provides the connectivity and solutions that enable constituents across healthcare to exchange information securely and conveniently. By connecting patients, providers, pharmacies, payors and pharma- ceutical manufacturers, RelayHealth offers real-time solutions to streamline interactions throughout health- care. The result: better outcomes for customers and patients, reduced costs and risks for the business, and a stronger foundation for long-term success.