HIM and IT – Friends or Foe ?
Sallyanne WissmannDirector, Health Information Service
Mater Health Services, Brisbane
Players
Health Information Managers (HIM)• Health information management
– Patient administration data – Clinical data
• Health records management• Clinical forms management• Coding and classification• Information privacy
Information Technology / Service (IT)• New system requirements / BA• Project managing new system
implementations• Software development• System administration and
management• Infrastructure & networks• PC, laptop, printer management• Telephony & mobile device
management
Relationship Characteristics
Friend Attribute Foe
IT projectsBoth involved
Communication
Involvement
Respect
Good, regular, open door
Participatory, common ground
Mutual
HIM not involved
Lack
Lack
Little
If we agree that HIM and IT professionals should be friends…
What does this look like ?
How do you forge this relationship ?
Goal
Health Information Managers are respected by IT professionals for their expertise and contribute at all times as
partners, advisers and stakeholders in progressing the organisation’s
information management and IT agenda
Vote
This doesn’t happen in my organisation
This sometimes happens, but could be improved
This happens where I work
Context – Mater Health Services
Provides public and privately funded health services in Brisbane
7 Hospitals1,037 Beds90,462 Discharges9,971 Births91,834 ED attendances188,914 Outpatient attendances
Context – Mater Health Services
• 1,300,000+ patients on the Patient Master Index• 1,000,000+ health records• 100+ information systems that contain patient health information• 40+ requests for new clinical systems / databases a year• 4 years into a long journey towards an Electronic Health Record
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
a) Be involved in the organisation’s ICT Strategic Plan– Does your organisation have one ?– Have you read it ?– Did you contribute to it ?– Do you understand it ?– Does it include health information management components ?– Have you had a conversation with the author about it ?– When is it due for renew / revision ?
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
b) Establish your vision for health information management in your organisation– What is it ?– Is it documented ?– How does it fit in with the organisation’s strategic direction ?– Who knows about it ?– Does it influence decision making and daily operations ?– How does it add value in your organisation ?– What does a culture of health information management / data
management look like in your organisation ?
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
c) Be a leader in health information management– Is it clearly stated in your Position Description ?– What type of strategic decisions do you make?– Do you have a balance between operational management and
strategic leadership ?– Are you asked to advise and contribute to organisational issues related
to or that have an impact on health information management ?– Promote a culture of health information management / data
management
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
d) Get Executive support– Do you have Executive support for health information leadership ?– Do you have Executive support for being a partner, adviser and
stakeholder in the organisation’s information management and IT agenda ?
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support…ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support…
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
e) Take responsibility for health information management governance in your organisation– What does best practice look like ?– Develop appropriate policies– Establish relevant governance committees and structures– Be collaborative– Develop a Health Information Management Framework– Define the health record– Monitor / report on governance status and issues
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… GovernanceGovernance
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
f) Be involved in IT system specifications, testing, implementation and management– Do you know what new systems are currently being investigated ?– Be on IT project steering committees– What about information management implications post project ?
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… Governance…IT Systems…Governance…IT Systems…
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
g) Identify health information management issues and address them– Be proactive– Develop and maintain good clinical relationships
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… Governance…IT Systems…HIM issues…Governance…IT Systems…HIM issues…
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
h) Practice good management skills– Reliable– Consistent– Available– Take action – Follow up
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… Governance…IT Systems…HIM issues…Management Governance…IT Systems…HIM issues…Management Skills…Skills…
Forging a Better HIM-IT Relationship
i) Build and maintain good relationships with IT staff– Initiate– Ask to be involved– Have regular contact– It’s a partnership
ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… ICT Strategic Plan…Vision…Leader…Executive Support… Governance…IT Systems…HIM issues…Management Governance…IT Systems…HIM issues…Management Skills…Good RelationshipsSkills…Good Relationships
Closing Remarks
• It doesn’t matter where you report in the organisation• The ICT agenda is progressing, with or without our involvement• The HIM role is to promote health information management
best practice within the organisation• Be a leader• Be an influencer• Take a stocktake of your relationship with IT in your
organisation and resolve to make it better
Top Related