In an interaction with CIOTechOutlook, Sudeep Dey, Chief Information Officer, Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd. shares his views on the key challenges in data standardization and normalization within the healthcare industry, the major obstacles in ensuring the accuracy  , specific data management strategies and more.

Data management in healthcare is increasingly becoming important owing to its potential to unlock valuable insights, improve patient outcomes, enable personalized medicine, drive research advancements, and enhance overall healthcare system efficiency and effectiveness. How do you see its rising significance?

Data Management Encompasses all fields related to data generation, upkeep and then utilization. All 3 areas need to be worked upon to realize its potential. Like all enterprises, healthcare also benefits from Data Management around Operations. The bigger impact to the society at large and organization or individual is when the clinical data is also utilized in the same manner to enable precision therapy and treatment.

It is also extremely useful when we think it over from the public health perspective.

How can healthcare institutions effectively manage the integration and interoperability of diverse healthcare data sources?

It is the same journey which any other enterprise takes. The additional layer comes because of the Equipment Manufactures and Data Interoperability between these components. And even more because of the rising sensitivity of this data for general good.

Both Interoperability Standards and Governance Standards are evolving, and ones need to adhere to the same.

What are the major obstacles in ensuring the accuracy, quality, and integrity of healthcare data throughout its lifecycle? How can they be overcome?

The major obstacles (and now and opportunity) is that of integration and interoperability needs across various healthcare data collection components. We as an ecosystem have made a significant development, however a galaxy of work needs to be completed to realize the true potential.  

What are the key challenges in data standardization and normalization within the healthcare industry, and how are they impacting data sharing and analytics?

The work starts at the source where the data is generated. To generate this data in a manner this provides enough metadata for uses in future analysis. As healthcare providers we are lagging in standardization in India. Several Internal Steps have been taken these directions and these are yielding its benefits in the respective domains.

What are the specific data management strategies that can be used by healthcare organizations to allay the concerns of data security and privacy?       

The best data management strategy is to work on the data generation site. This will make sure that the data generated is clean and reference able. We need to proactively ensure that we are following the HIPAA for Data at rest and Data in Motion. In addition, we should also look in to the Provision of Digital Data Privacy Laws which are in Draft Stage and actually look beyond.