Information Governance: Defining a Path for Use in the Healthcare Industry

Healthcare organizations in the United States are incorporating technology on a regular basis. Much of this technology is used to store and process protected health information in a wide range of formats. Information collected in a healthcare organization must be considered an organizational asset and protected by an effective information governance structure. This project seeks to identify the people, processes, and quality data necessary to support information governance in the healthcare industry. Components of information governance structures exist in other industries but the concept of information governance for the healthcare industry is relatively new and is often rejected as an organizational priority. Enacting information governance structures in the healthcare industry is possible but may take several years to implement. Progress in this area is impeded by little existing research as it applies to the healthcare industry, conflicting priorities, predominately the primary focus of the industry on implementing electronic health records by the 2016 deadline, and a lack of understanding about the importance. The solution model presented in this project seeks to define structure at a time when conflicting priorities often compete for limited resources. This project should enable most healthcare organizations to begin realigning their goals to support information as an asset that supports core beliefs of improved patient care and better quality outcomes.