Related to the trend of recognizing the difference between information and data, is that governance of information requires it be viewed as a business capability. This recognition is starting to take hold because healthcare organizations are realizing that it is the business needs and drivers that supply the context for the data housed by IT. Therefore, understanding, governing, and prioritizing the rules, processes, and controls must account for this contextualization.
Data is still the realm of IT, as are the technologies used to house and transmit it. However, data governance and IT governance are still essential and tight collaboration between IT and the business continues to be critical. What this equates to is more active and integral involvement of business personnel and subject matter experts in the governance program. Governance in general is a focus upon behaviors in the use and management of information. Therefore, the emphasis is upon people and process, which is exactly why information governance is being recognized as a business capability.
Governance will continue to be recognized as a business capability and moving out of the IT-only realm. As a business-centric capability, information governance is primarily focusing upon behaviors in the use and management of information, regardless of the technologies used to house or transmit that information, leaving those concerns primarily to sata and IT governance. Even with this shift, it is still recognized that tight collaboration with IT is critical to the success of the program.
To learn more about this trend and the other trends impacting healthcare governance, download our recent guide, Healthcare Governance, Trends to Watch.
