Electronic health records and healthcare information systems create huge amounts of data for provider organizations.

These organizations must manage data as a strategic asset, according to Dr. Ferdinand Velasco, senior vice president and chief health information officer at Texas Health Resources. 

He observes that there has been focus on technical aspects of data management and analytics by clinical informatics and business intelligence domains. But there hasn’t been enough focus on cultural changes associated with digital business transformation. There is a need for data driven culture and promotion of data literacy.

Healthcare people need to be educated on some fundamental principles of data management and analytics. They should take time to understand the environment, the source systems and workflows for data capture.

Data-literate healthcare professionals are genuinely curious about the data. They don’t passively consume information presented to them and question the reliability of the data.

One needs to be action oriented while leveraging data as an asset. This implies focusing on data analytics that are important, that drive decision-making and enable process improvement. This would require alignment with organization’s strategic priorities and key initiatives.

Also, analysis of data helps in improving patient-provider communication.