Related to the trend of recognizing the difference between information and data, content, and knowledge 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 data, content, or knowledge housed by IT.
Therefore, understanding, governing, and prioritizing the rules, processes, and controls must account for this contextualization.
Data, content, and knowledge are still the realm of IT, as are the technologies used to house, manage, and transmit them. However, governance 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, content, and knowledge. Therefore, the emphasis is upon people and process, which is exactly why information governance is being recognized as a business capability.
This trend is further evidenced by the industry as a whole actively separating the concept of data governance versus information governance in product and service literature.
For example, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has spent the last few years evolving and socializing its framework and approach to information governance for the healthcare industry by appealing to the idea that it is the business that both drives and is responsible for the success of information governance for the organization, especially as it must move from the fee-for-service model to value-based care.
Be aware that despite this trend, “recognizing” does not always equate to “operationalizing.” There are still significant challenges for attaining active involvement of business resources in the day-to-day operations of a governance program. This level of success in dealing with this challenge will play a critical role in the ultimate success of truly establishing governance as a business capability.
This blog was co-authored by Mark Steinbacher and Priyal Patel.
To learn more about the rebirth of governance in healthcare, and exploring the trends and impact on patients and organizational operations, you can download the guide below.
