Imagine a landscape where patient privacy is impermeable, every diagnosis is supported by accurate information, and the safe and seamless exchange of data fuels medical innovation and collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem - that's a future worth hoping for.
Information on the National Health Service (NHS England digital website), highlights numerous data quality issues such as unpopulated, inaccurate or invalid NHS Numbers, A&E times, treatment codes, diagnosis codes, and maternity data submitted as general episodes.
Also, according to a report published by Grant Thornton UK LLP, below are real examples of errors and their financial impact on the NHS trusts found through their reviews.
Admitted Patient Care: Inaccessible, incomplete and inaccurate source documentation led to clinicians failing to identify definitive diagnosis, patient comorbidities and intra-operative procedures. The full-year financial impact was £4.4 million (GBP).
Accident and Emergency (A&E): The poor implementation of systems and lack of training and knowledge sharing led to issues such as the under-recording of A&E treatments and tests, which changed the price of A&E attendance. The full-year financial impact was £1.8 million (GBP).
Maternity: The limited or lack of clinical ownership, engagement and data validation led to the under-reporting of maternity pathways such as staff unclear that key information like previous medical history (eg caesarean section) and current comorbidities (eg BMI) needed to be recorded. The full-year financial impact was £0.6 million (GBP).
Since the above report was published, the NHS has gone on a data and digital transformation journey. Data governance is crucial for maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive healthcare information. With the vast amount of data generated within the healthcare sector, proper governance ensures that patient data is handled securely, ethically, and in compliance with regulatory requirements such as the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Data governance is paramount in healthcare due to several critical reasons:
1. Patient Privacy and Security.
Healthcare data often contains sensitive information about individuals' health conditions, treatments, and personal details. Proper data governance ensures that this information is protected from unauthorized access, reducing the risk of privacy breaches and maintaining patient trust.
2. Data Sharing between Healthcare Providers.
With the increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and digital health systems, interoperability has become crucial for sharing patient data across different healthcare providers and systems. Standardized data management and effective data governance facilitate data standardization and interoperability, enabling seamless information exchange between healthcare providers while maintaining data consistency and security. This leads to a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to patient care.
3. Analytics and Clinical Decision Support.
Healthcare organizations leverage data analytics to derive insights for improving patient care, operational efficiency, and resource allocation. Data governance also supports the implementation of clinical decision support systems (CDSS), which provide healthcare professionals with evidence-based guidance and recommendations at the point of care. By ensuring that CDSS have access to high-quality data (accurate, consistent, trustworthy and reliable), data governance enhances their effectiveness in improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.
4. Standardization and Data Quality Improvement.
Data governance initiatives often involve standardizing data formats, terminology, and coding systems to improve consistency and interoperability. By establishing common data standards and quality metrics, healthcare organizations can enhance the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of their data assets.
5. Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management and Ethical Considerations.
Healthcare is subject to numerous regulations and standards (eg DPA, GDPR and HIPAA) governing data management, privacy, and security. Patients also trust healthcare providers to use their data responsibly and ethically. This means that data breaches can have severe consequences for healthcare organizations, including financial losses and damage to reputation. A robust data governance framework helps organizations comply with these regulations, reducing the risk of fines, legal issues, and reputational damage.
6. Cost Efficiency and Resource Optimization.
Effective data governance can lead to cost savings and resource optimization by reducing redundant data storage, minimizing errors and rework, and streamlining data management processes. By maximizing the value of their data assets, healthcare organizations can allocate resources more efficiently and focus on delivering high-quality care to patients.
Final Thoughts
In summary, data governance is indispensable for addressing the complex challenges facing the healthcare industry, from safeguarding patient privacy to driving innovation and improving population health. By establishing robust governance frameworks and practices, healthcare organizations can unlock the full potential of their data assets while upholding the highest standards of quality, security, and ethical conduct.
Erisna is an intuitive, single-view data governance platform that enables organizations to build trust in their data. With tools for Data Discovery, Cataloging, Mapping and Validation that can be understood across the business, Erisna enables data teams to drive efficiency and cost savings when working with data.