Health Information Management Standards
In health care sectors, how data is generated and managed is vital. Health information is susceptible and should be accessed only by authorized personnel, who use the information to render quality health care. The healthcare policy limited unauthorized persons’ access, addressing the security, privacy, and information integrity of health. The system of information management can vary from sophisticated to basic based on the nature of the organization. As technology advanced, most healthcare sectors tend to transit their information management from cumbersome paperwork to electronic. This paper addresses the information management standards involved in the standards process, and the sources needed to comply with the standard—also departments involved in the process and the relationship between standard and health information management.
Planning for organization’s information management
The planning for information management is the most crucial part of managing the information. The planning process needs the collaboration of all levels and areas to make a better solution for information management. In simple terms, everyone is involved. The information management plan should consider all types of data generated from the organization in general (Scrivner et al., 2012). For instance, human resources data, financial data, supply inventories, and health information data. Hence, all the departments that generate data are involved in the information management standard, such as finance, supply inventories, human resource, and information management. Information management plans establish a direct relationship between the need and goals of the organization. To add to the organization’s goals, there also a clear understanding of the organization’s resources, staff, service, and patient safety practices. Another important consideration when planning information management is information flow within, to, and from other organizations. Taking accounts of the information and data the needs maintain the relationship of contractors, outside provider, payers, and purchasers are done at the information management planning process. To provide safe and quality care, the organization needs to identify the external and internal information at the planning information management stage. Identifies information will give guidance on development in managing the information. The quality of the information management planning will give a good foundation for information management in the organization.
Information management continuity planning process for organization
The main aim of information management continuity is to restore the organization to usual operation as quickly as possible with no database and minimum downtime. The healthcare facility should make plans to access data regardless of interruption, whether the plan or unplanned (threats from outside or within). The interruption of data accessibility has caused poor performance and low quality of service within the organization, but continuity will help mitigate such interference impacts (Vangay et al., 2021). In the information management continuity process, the organization will involve the staff by rendering the opportunity of training. The training will include the alternative procedures of data restoration testing procedures, regular data backup, and emergency management plans. The departments involved in this continuity information management process are the ones that have information management systems, for instance, finance, supply inventories, human resource, and information management. The elements required in the information management continuity process are a written plan for managing threats, it can be paper-based, or electronics or all combined, and the threats should be managed whether planned or unplanned. The planning for threats management is essential for the information system.
Maintaining integrity and security of health information
Information in the health sector is collected and managed through many information systems and sources across the organization. The handling nature of information breaches its security, resulting in violation of data integrity. Data and information are sensitive such that recording inappropriate date, diagnosis and services constantly undermine its integrity. Hence, electronic systems and paper should be examined to ensure the privacy and integrity of health information. The organization must ensure the health information is secure by the use of passwords. The organization should know the technological development to make sure their systems will secure to maintain data and information policies. The information management officer and the department are involved in this process, conducting frequent security audits to identify the most vulnerable systems before violating data and information policies. The organization should have a policy based on information health integrity (damage, loss, unauthorized alteration, and accidental destruction). The protection of information by the organization should be considered. Breaking the health information policy is chargeable at the court of the law.
To sum up, health information management must meet specific standards. The information collected and processed must be protected from unauthorized access. The health practitioners used the information to render quality care and services. Violating any health information will weaken the data integrity, and developing security to the data will enhance data integrity. Information and data should be protected at all costs.
References
Scrivner, O., McAvoy, E., Nguyen, T., Choeden, T., Simon, K., & Börner, K. (2021). Interactive Network Visualization of Opioid Crisis Related Data-Policy, Pharmaceutical, Training, and More. arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.05596.
Vangay, P., Burgin, J., Johnston, A., Beck, K. L., Berrios, D. C., Blumberg, K., … & Eloe-Fadrosh, E. A. (2021). Microbiome Metadata Standards: Report of the National Microbiome Data Collaborative’s Workshop and Follow-On Activities. Msystems, 6(1).
