Data management is a process of collecting, storing, and using data in secure and efficient ways. Data is one of the most valuable resources for any modern organization, but it has to be managed and monetized correctly to reach its full potential. In the health care industry, data security is critical to maintaining compliance with HIPAA and other regulations. Patient information such as medical records, contact information, and insurance information needs to remain accurate and up to date, but it also has to be kept private.
Healthcare data management means gathering patient information from various disparate sources into one convenient database where it can be stored, analyzed, and even shared when appropriate. This allows providers to simplify healthcare, lower costs, and maintain a holistic view of patients and treatment. Data shared across multiple systems like this is referred to as master data, and master data management (MDM) is crucial for healthcare providers. They’ll often deal with a subset of master data, called reference data that helps them determine data hierarchies. Here are some of the types of data healthcare providers deal with and how they’re used daily.
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Reference Data
Reference data management (RDM) is the management of classifications and hierarchies across multiple systems and departments. RDM is a critical part of master data management and enables recognizing and sharing static data sets used by people and automated systems as reference. RDM can also produce and manage complex maps of data sets across an entire organization for easy access. It allows service-oriented architecture to conduct microservices by sharing reference data between analytical and governance applications.
Microservices can range from API management that ensures all integrated applications can communicate with each other to security and compliance systems meant to protect private information. It’s a way to transfer the workload of one large application to several smaller, more specialized applications. Having a modern reference data manager is important for healthcare providers since they’re easy to secure and audit and legacy systems continue to become bigger compliance and security risks. Here are some of the ways proper data management helps healthcare professionals and their patients.
Improved Communication
Proper communication between patients and their healthcare providers is crucial to reach the best patient outcomes and ensure that they stay informed. Organizations across all industries are adopting modern CRM systems, and healthcare is no different. These systems allow healthcare workers to access important data, when appropriate, to keep patients updated and schedule appointments more efficiently. With the right solution, healthcare providers can reach out to patients, and vice versa, across all digital channels for ultimate convenience.
Electronic Health Records Compliance
You can use master data to create a comprehensive view of each patient’s history, stored in a single secure location and only shared with authorized caregivers. While this certainly includes medical history, such comprehensive records will include health insurance information as well. It will include whether a patient is covered by Medicare or Medicaid, as well as whether they’ve found coverage through a private insurance company.
Since healthcare information is stored in one central location, it’s also easy to audit HIPAA compliance and other regulations. This ensures that all private data is secure and makes processes easier for healthcare providers. A complete view of each patient’s history allows for better and faster treatment in the future.
Organization
The benefits of reference data sets go beyond treatment and compliance as well. They can also help organizations, such as hospitals, easily see how many beds they have available and where they are, as well as how much can be billed for each one. It can also help healthcare users find ways to cut costs and improve business processes, making treatment more convenient and cheaper for patients. RDM systems are bringing the healthcare industry into a new age of operational efficiency.
