Chief information officers need reliable data to make smart decisions in the healthcare space in 2018. However, not all executives trust the data provided to their organization, a recent survey from analytics and data management firm Dimensional Insight revealed.
The results highlight the current state of data trust and access for U.S. healthcare leaders as the broader system advances toward value-based care.
Survey respondents included 85 CIOs and other senior healthcare IT leaders from different types of hospitals, from private non-profits and for-profits to public, teaching, research and specialty facilities, with a range of beds and number of care sites. Respondents rated data trust on an index based on how strongly user populations can trust the data provided to make decisions.
“Overall, less than half of healthcare organizations show very strong levels of trust in their data,” the survey found.
Almost half––48 percent—of respondents rated their trust in financial data an 8 or higher on the 10-point index scale, with 10 indicating the most trust. Clinical data was rated 8 or higher by just 40 percent of respondents, and only 36 percent responded the same for operational data.
Hospital CIOs are IT professionals in one sense, but their responsibility often extends beyond keeping all systems go for an organization. They are also tasked with driving innovation and strategies through technology as the healthcare system continues to digitize. Technology leaders in healthcare will continue to rely on data to make decisions that drive clinical excellence and operational success. But a lack of trust in the data could inhibit this progress.
Furthermore, the survey found a lack of self-service among user populations in making data-driven decisions. Self-service applications users are leveraging more data analytics, working with data that is most important to their goals with better context, instead of relying on standardized reports.
Generally, healthcare organizations “have low levels of self-service,” the survey found. This was especially true in clinical and operational settings. More CIOs reported higher self-service in finance settings.
Overall, healthcare organizations were overwhelmingly planning to invest more in improving data trust and self-service analysis in clinical, financial and operational settings, revealing CIOs recognize opportunities for improvements. The findings underscore they still have a long way to go.
“Data trust and access are especially important during the transition to value-based care,” the survey read. “The transition will require increased, high-level collaboration among different constituencies within a healthcare enterprise. It also will require decisions to be quantitatively assessed against reliable, trustworthy data.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."