HIM Professionals Play An Integral Role In Improving The Nation's Health Data Quality

Health IT officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encourage action and preview new data tools during AHIMA’s Health Information Integrity Summit

David Muntz, CHCIO, FCHIME, FHIMSS, principal deputy at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), called for health information management (HIM) professionals to be at the forefront of health IT initiatives to maintain and improve the quality of healthcare.

Muntz offered this perspective at the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) Health Information Integrity Summit last week. Health IT officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all emphasized that as providers continue their migration to electronic health records (EHR), HIM professionals must play a critical role in analyzing data and helping to assure health information is used to its greatest potential.

For the potential of EHRs to be realized, Muntz called for a partnership between providers and patients.

“Giving patients access to their health records will improve the quality and integrity of the health data,” Muntz said

Improving the quality of health data was one of several issues highlighted during the Summit that convened thought leaders in informatics and healthcare to address harnessing the data collected across the care continuum – including EHRs, personal health records and medical devices – to improve patient outcomes.

“As the stewards of health information, HIM professionals are uniquely qualified to help improve the quality of data being collected and shape the use of both the data and information,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA. “Our members are excited to play a leading role in this consequential issue.”

Recognizing the important role health data can play in improving patient care and bolstering health research while maintaining the privacy of health records, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is transforming its approach by strengthening data governance, developing new information products and expanding internal data analytics, said Niall Brennan, MPP, Director, Office of Information Products and Data Analytics at CMS.

Some of CMS’ projects include a new Virtual Research Data Center – which the agency plans to roll out in the fall – as well as Medicare’s Blue Button project and the Chronic Conditions Dashboard.

“The Virtual Research Data Center is a potential game changer for researchers looking for simpler access to Medicare data,” Brennan said. “All of these resources will make more program data available in multiple formats to spur innovation and let the private sector leverage the data to the greatest potential.”

Although users of the data center will need to pay for access, Brennan said it will be more affordable for new, small research organizations with fewer resources. Steps have been taken to ensure the data are protected, including a secure sign-on and a security screen that prevents protected health information from leaving the site.

Other topics discussed during the two-day Summit include improving health information quality through patient empowerment, data integrity and health information exchanges as well as meeting the challenges of data integrity and data stewardship.

About AHIMA
Celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) represents more than 67,000 educated health information management professionals in the United States and around the world. AHIMA is committed to promoting and advocating for high quality research, best practices and effective standards in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide. AHIMA’s enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information. For more information, visit www.ahima.org