Health information governance: A framework across a Melbourne metropolitan health service
With advancements in digital health across Victoria and Australia – including the implementation of an electronic medical record in many major tertiary health services – an appropriate governance of the collection, use and access of patient and consumer health information is more pertinent than ever. As the custodians of health information, Health Information Managers (HIMs) are entrusted with managing, interpreting and protecting the use and collection of a health service’s health information, while operating in partnership with clinicians to support the provision of effective, integrated and comprehensive clinical care. This collaborative relationship fosters a shared responsibility for health information governance and is essential for harnessing the delivery of responsive care across the ‘creation to destruction’ life cycle of health information. A well-defined health information governance framework provides a basis upon which this partnership can be built and sustained and is of particular relevance for HIMs who are working in a space that is transitioning into a digital environment.
