The focus of information governance (IG) is to protect patient data from improper collection, storage, and sharing. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offers a more specific definition for the term, stating that IG is a framework that covers the entire organization and the entire lifecycle of information to support “the organization’s strategy, operations, regulatory, legal, risk, and environmental requirements.”
Information governance (IG) is a business process in which internal teams seek to align the control and use of information with business goals while also upholding regulatory compliance. While information governance is being implemented across all industries, it has a vital role to play in healthcare as it guides the confidentiality and security of sensitive patient data with principles that address data security challenges.
Benefits
When implemented properly, information governance helps businesses secure data in the best interest of the patient. However, IG also allows businesses to better understand and manage all of the information they hold, giving them the opportunity to utilize it more appropriately and efficiently to support key objectives. Therefore, information governance supports both patients and businesses.
The primary benefits of information governance include:
- Support regulatory compliance by helping businesses maintain confidentiality, security, and privacy when handling sensitive information, such as electronic health records (EHR) and personal health records (PHR).
- Improve information storage and management practices by reviewing where and how information is kept and accessed, which in turn improves usability, helps control storage costs, and supports security initiatives.
- Streamline the inclusion of information for reporting, strategic planning, and predictive analytics purposes by guiding efficient data storage and management practices.
- Improve the quality and outcomes of patient experiences by making relevant information more accessible for team members, review boards, and reporting purposes.
In addition to the above, information governance also supports a business’ ability to avoid the costs and penalties associated with compliance issues.
How TempDev Can Help With Information Governance
TempDev’s team of experienced consultants, developers, and trainers is here to support enhanced accessibility and customized features and templates. This enables you and your patients to have more control over data with improved transparency.
As part of our streamlining process, we help you implement the Patient Portal, API, and other tools to better support safety, patient engagement, and security. TempDev offers the comprehensive resources and tools you need to ensure compliance from dashboards to automation and workflow redesign.
Contact us here or by calling us at 888.TEMP.DEV to implement information governance for all your business-critical applications.