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

Sallyanne.Wissmann@mater.org.au