Today, patient data can be acquired from various sources, which in turn poses challenges for healthcare organizations in terms of consolidating patient data. It becomes even more challenging considering the different forms as well as types of data encompassing flat files, databases and images among other types.
With unceasing flow of data into healthcare systems and with data promising insights to be leveraged for treating patients and preventing diseases, healthcare organizations face an uphill task of taming data. There is also the need to consider HIPAA compliances in order to ensure patient data protection. What rises in relevance is also the challenge of facilitating top quality care adopting the value-based approach.
With patient data collection promising insights, what are the features that need to be considered while collecting patient data in terms of assuring data availability, meaningful insights from data, and that of data security?
Interoperability
Interoperability is one of the key features to be considered for leveraging patient data collection – which is about enabling communication among different information technology systems as well as software applications and exchange of data to facilitate use of information that gets exchanged.
Let us take patient data encompassing patient medical history and demographic information among other patient-related data – In this case, FHIR as well as HL7 2.x have risen into the most fitting interoperability standards that get used for acquiring patient information.
When it comes to acquiring patient data from that of the EHRs, ADT (Admission, Discharge & Transfer) is considered as the most-fitting message format. When imaging becomes the source of data, DICOM is leveraged to enable data transformation from that of clinical imaging systems to other external applications. And when laboratory systems (LIMS) play a key role in this integration, it augurs well for healthcare organizations to define the requirement and seek the guidance of expert integrators who will play a key role in addressing interoperability issues.
Data Analytics
Yet another feature of importance is the need to put patient data into meaningful use. This reiterates the need to manage patient data properly, which adds value in terms of accessing patient data for assuring top quality care.
It is from the loads of data that we ought to acquire patient 360-degree. And getting patient 360-degree is not made possible by finding access to data, but by implementing integrated systems that help capture a comprehensive view of patient data.
Providers rely on analytics to move from data to measurements, KPIs, reports and analytical insights to solve various issues. Data analytics emerges as the force driving personalized patient care. For instance, leveraging imaging analytics can go a long way in determining patients’ disease levels. Advance analytics also serve providers’ cause to determine patient health, predict medical issues, and even alert physicians by way of health alerts.
Blockchain
Though unorganized and scattered patient data promises value, it becomes a reality only by promoting a robust infrastructure. This magnifies the need for a centrally monitored systems for safeguarding healthcare data, an imperative to fulfill HIPAA compliance.
In addressing this scenario, Block chain becomes an ideal alternative in the way it helps do away with centrally administered systems – as it promises data storage within blocks pertaining to distributed ledgers, well protected through sophisticated cryptography.