Given that the general counsel is typically on the board, Czarkowski suggests that he « has the opportunity to promote the concept of information governance on the ground floor. » However, she cautions that the General Counsel – as well as other actors like HIM – must promote the initiative in a way that always aligns with the organisation`s overall strategic objectives. Once this is assured, steps can be taken to think about IG from a tactical perspective and how the program should be executed. Given that the program will be organization-wide, the information governance program should include governance and leadership by cross-functional senior managers as part of an information governance committee or board. The Board should include individuals from all sectors of activity directly affected by certain phases of the program. It is also a good idea to consider rotating Board members over time to reflect the current objectives of the program and also to help the Board stay fresh and engaged. IGHealthRate is a subscription-based product that provides organizations with a structured approach to becoming GI proficient and reaching a level of maturity that shows they value and trust their information to make a difference in patient care, in their communities and with their business partners. As part of IGHealthRate, companies can demonstrate the excellence of their IG program by asking HIMA`s IGAdvisors to validate the performance of their program in achieving IGAM 5 level. Organizations can then use the IGAM Level 5 emblem on their website and other corporate documents to highlight the success of their IG implementation. Audit trails (or audit logs) are chronological records that provide documentary evidence of the sequence of activities involved in a particular program, operation, workflow, or event. Information governance software captures and stores them along with associated resources such as documents, messages, meeting minutes, etc. to respond to internal reviews and regulatory oversight.
The lack of a detailed audit trail can be disastrous, especially in highly regulated industries. While the concept of information governance (IM) is fairly consistent across sectors, there is no doubt that healthcare presents a completely different kind of challenge when it comes to developing an IG program. Information governance is a company`s strategic approach to managing its information, whether it`s digital data, documents, or archival records, to support business outcomes. Determining what is considered the right information is the first step in implementing an IG program. Information such as financial statements, database records, emails, invoices and other customer records, general office productivity documents, digital images, phone call recordings and other audio files, instant messages, and video files are a selection of the type of data that companies need to consider. It can include a wide range of interdisciplinary policies, procedures, controls, tools and technologies to help an organization meet regulatory, legal and operational requirements. Information security is responsible for a company`s security strategy, policy, and management. This function should be involved in everything related to the security and protection of the information used by the organization. In addition, they must work closely with compliance and records management to ensure that information complies with the company`s security and privacy policies while complying with industry regulations and industry standards such as ISO. The differences between the two lie mainly in where they are carried out and by whom.
Data governance is a data-level management approach that focuses on maintaining the integrity of all data assets within an organization. Essentially, information governance is much more multidisciplinary and relies more on top-down leadership to ensure effective management and collaboration across silos. « Retaining information when there is currently no known reason to retain that information can lead to `corporate amnesia,` where the organization loses track of what some of its retained information represents — or why it got it in the first place, » he wrote. An effective GI program can help businesses avoid this problem. Information governance practices often involve the use of information governance software that helps organizations manage their information in the best possible way, make full use of all available data, and comply with all applicable data regulations. Understanding the right reasons for managing information is relatively easy and can help ensure the productivity and effectiveness of information governance. By leveraging data retention concepts such as knowledge sharing and data reuse, internal teams can reduce the need for internal resources for document recreation and related research. This allows lawyers and paralegals to focus on more complex tasks related to a project. Good data management also makes it easy for departments to share information, resulting in more productive collaboration. « There`s a lot at stake when it comes to health care, » said Susan Lucci, RHIA, CHPS, CHDS, AHDI-F, consultant and chief privacy officer at Just Associates. « And if you don`t have strong information governance policies, you could put patient safety at risk. » If a company or organization does not suspend an information governance program in the face of a notice that a lawsuit has been dropped, it can be sanctioned or punished in court. Information governance makes information more accessible to those who need it, which is essential for any business.
Organizations of all types and sizes often suffer from poor organization and mismanagement of information assets, resulting in issues of accessibility, usability, timeliness, and security, which can have a positive impact on governance. A commitment to information integrity throughout the organization requires the active participation of employees at all levels and in all areas.
