Data Quality and Management in Health Care - Research Proposal Example

DATA QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE Outline Introduction Data safety and security must be taken to ensure that confidence and privacy of the patients or customers is safeguarded The patient must enjoy full right of privacy where his or her information is not availed to a third party under whichever circumstance In the past, cases of data breaches and information leaks have been on the rise Statement of problem Imperative to contextualize how the data breaches occur and avenues of preventing against them Theoretical framework Instances of cyber-crime are rife in the healthcare setting or environment Increase in security of databases equally increases chances of increase in the prospects of cyber-crime such as hacking of the database of hospitals and insurance companies Literature review Employees of healthcare environment to be given training and skills on handling databases Government security agencies are best placed to protect and pursue the cybercriminals Data quality must be ensured such as the methods of collection and storage should be proper and laced with safeguards only staff with appropriate clearance should be allowed to access the databases Type of research A cross breed of qualitative and quantitative research hence exploratory in nature Respondents Healthcare staff, academic experts, customers or patients, government officials Methods of data collection Primary sources-interviews, secondary sources-obtain information from websites and journals Methods of data analysis and presentations Sieved information would be used to formulate and draw graphs and tables for the quantitative research aspects while commonalities would be used for the qualitative research Conclusion In the past there have been data breaches in healthcare environment Practical instance is the Anthem Incorporated a health insurer in the US Government should play role in safeguarding against data breach and cybercrime as a whole Staff of healthcare institutions to be trained on how to handle such sensitive information References Introduction In the medical and healthcare field by extension, the aptness and sanctity of information and data that is collected should be treated with utmost care and interest. This is so because the data that the patients, insurance firms, medical doctors, pharmaceutical practitioners and healthcare researchers give is vital and crucial hence safety should be ensured. It goes without mentioning that if such information lands in the wrong hands, then the effects and repercussions would be devastating.             Expressly, the patient information must be held and treated in confidence at all costs by the healthcare community as a whole. For instance, the right to privacy of the patient may be breached if his or her data is accessed by another party that is not permitted or allowed to access such data. Intuitively, the aspect of having appropriate data, collected and treated with security and care cannot be overemphasized at this level. In the recent past, there have been reports of data breaches where the information banks and reserves of healthcare institutions are hacked and data accessed. A practical case and instance in this line of thought and respect is the Anthem Incorporated which happens to be one of the biggest health insurers on the global stage.  At the very minimum, the notion of data management encompasses the safeguards and protection or the security accorded to the information banks in the healthcare environment. Thus this paper will delve into the holistic concept of data quality and management in the healthcare environment in totality. Statement of The Problem In the recent past healthcare firms have reported cases and instances of data breaches and hackings of their information reservoirs. Accordingly, the clients have also had a dip in the level of trust and confidence that they accord the healthcare institutions. At the end, there would be loss in revenue that the firms would have made would be reduced proportionately. Therefore, as a prospective analysts and researcher, it is an issue of interest to articulate and contextualize the actual damages caused by such breaches. Secondly, it would be beneficial to explore ways and avenues through which such breaches occur and how they could be avoided in the subsequent times. Definition of Terms As Above Data: In this context it encompasses the information, facts or statistics that are collected for analysis with the aim of deriving inferences and more information from it. Data quality:  It refers to the overall aptness and integrity of the information, statistics or fact that is considered during the research process. Data management: It encompasses the mechanisms pertaining to the integrity and care given during the collection, analysis and storage of information and statistics. Healthcare environment: As above the whole notion of the medical institutions such as hospitals, clinics, insurance firms, medical practitioners such as doctors, nurses and the customers or patients. Theoretical Framework Given the background of this research process, it is an assumption that most of the databases and information banks of the healthcare facilities are potential targets of cyber-attacks. This is to say that there is a high degree of believability that cyber-attacks could be successful in the healthcare environment. Similarly, it is important to note and mention that since the advancements and changes in the field of technology is ever changing there would be a corresponding increase in the amount of skills ability at the disposal of the cyber-criminals.  Thus, it would be fair to assert that the prospects of data breaches increases exponentially with an increase in the whole aspect of technology and information securities. Literature Review This section covers the existing body of information and knowledge that addresses the topic of interest which is data quality and management in healthcare as it relates to this research of interest. To begin with, according to Bartlett (2001), it is critical that the employees and staff of a healthcare institution be given the relevant training on how to manage and handle data. This is so because some of the staff who collect personal data about the patients or customers may mishandle them or store them in grey sites which are easy to hack and breach. In so saying, the source articulates that such loopholes and weaknesses make it easy for cyber criminals to mine such information and data and use the same information for their own selfish gains and reasons. By extension, it would be fair to assert that the same training ought to be extended to the information system of the healthcare settings to avoid any chance or prospects of being vulnerable against the cyber criminals.             According to Ferlie &Shortell, (2001), it records that the government and its security agencies such as the CIA and NASA are the only bodies with the technical and manpower abilities to match the skills and acumen of the cyber criminals. As a result, the security agencies are supposed to offer extra security to the databases of the healthcare institutions since such breaches occur beyond their will power and abilities. In the same line of thought, it mentions that the security agencies may train the healthcare facilities and their staff on how to keep and manage their database and quell any external threats or aggressions in the form of cyber-attacks.             According to Katz, Naveh & Stern (2005), it stipulates the tenets and principles of data quality and what constitutes them. Expressly, it records that the data quality is a result of various tenets and principle such as warehousing-storage, analysis, collection and application. It further mentions that application entails the aim for collecting the information or data-what is the role of collecting patients’ data or insurance clients’ information and data. Another basis and argument of this source is that it mentions the characteristics of data quality.             It is comprehensive that data accuracy, consistency, accessibility, currency, relevance, precision, timeliness and comprehensiveness are some of the irreducible minimums.  This is to skew the perspective that the quality of information and data collected must meet the above outlined criterion and meet them as a measure of believability. In the same line of thought, this source expounds on the aspect that data governance must be preserved for a few people who have the requisite clearance and authorization. It stipulates that firewalls ought to be erected to monitor any an unauthorized browsing of the database. Secondly, only few people with the right kind of clearance are supposed to have the permission to monitor databases so as to rule out any prospects of inside corporation with the cyber criminals. In the end if there is a breach, it would be easy to account for any irregular activities and incursions. Methodology Type of research Accordingly, given the nature and aspect of this research, it is my reasoned opinion and humble or respectful submission that it would be an exploratory research which is a cross and mix of both qualitative and quantitative research. It is to mention that it would consider the numerical aspects and implications of the data breaches to all the concerned persons. Intuitively, it mentions the numerical features in terms of the number of people who were affected by the data breaches? How much in terms of revenue was lost due to the dip in the customer confidence? The approximate value in financial damages that was incurred as a result of the lapse in the data quality and management process such as breach or hacking.              It is imperative to note and mention that the management of data encompasses all the tenets of security and safeguarding such data and information. Thus, it is a sync to relate the data management as postulated in the thesis and how the breach would be effected. Another quantitative aspect that cannot escape attention is the costs incurred in ensuring quality is observed and the threshold of integrity in terms of collection, analysis and storage is concerned. This is to mention that the numerical costs and implications would be covered such that the increase or reduction in costs would be articulated accordingly.             On the other hand, the qualitative aspects involves the reduction or increase in the confidence of the customers to the healthcare facilities which are custodians of their information. Tentatively, it refers to the discomfort and complains that the customers and the general public would raise once they learn that their data and information is not protected or safe. In the same line of thought and argument, it would refer to the increase in confidence that the customers would have when they learn about the increased safety checks and safeguards to the information banks which contains their data (Lee, Pipino, Funk & Wang, 2009). It is critical to note and mention that this research and study as a whole would not have any static hypothesis and instead, it would flow freely without the parameters and borderlines of a hypothesis. Thus, the inferences would be arrived at after a free flow of thoughts and arguments or logics. Respondents In order to arrive at the right conclusion and inferences, it would be beneficial to get the opinion and input of the people who are directly concerned with the notion of data quality and management in the healthcare setting. To begin with, the healthcare setting staff such as the people who work in the information security system would give their views.  This is particularly critical since they would enlighten the research process on which kind of security checks and measures are taken to ensure data is managed aptly. It is needless to say that they would also give their opinion on what are the likely reasons as to why information banks and databases of health institutions get hacked and information stolen.             Secondly, the customers and the patients by extension would also give their input and opinion on the same issue. In practice, they would give their opinion relative to trust and confidence issues such as how they felt their privacy was affected after a breach (Vogeli Shields, Lee, Gibson, Marder, Weiss & Blumenthal,2007). Accordingly, they would explain why such things relative to data management ought to be resolved and whom they blame for the loss of their information and data. For instance, do they believe it was the mistake of the health facilities that their data was stolen or it was the fault of the cyber-criminals? Similarly, it would be important to get the opinion of the executives of healthcare facilities which are concerned with the management of voluminous data on how their proceeds were affected. This is to say that it would inquire on the modalities and ways through which they have either recorded an increase in customers or decrease after the data breaches occurred. Subsequently, the government officials would also form the body of respondents so that they would explain the legal and policy framework relative to the issue of data management.              They would explain what the policy framework on how the healthcare facilities and institutions are supposed to treat and handle the data and information of the patients and customers. This is to mention that the government position would expound on the irreducible standards and outlines that a healthcare institution should put in place. At the tail end, they would give the research process the clear path to infer on whether the breach was due to design or defect on the security standards of the healthcare facility. Lastly, it would be crucial and beneficial to obtain the opinion and view of the academic experts and professionals such as University professors. Academic experts would be useful to give meaning and sense to the things that happen to the aspect of cybercrimes (Katz & Stern, 2005). This is to say that they would explain how and why the cyber-attacks have in the recent past been directed to the healthcare facilities and institutions. In principle, they would also guide the study to postulate prospective areas of attacks on the database of healthcare facilities and institutions. For instance, if future attacks could be directed towards the financial records of personal data for data mining. In brief, the academic experts would give meaning and sense to the tenets ad ideas that the other respondents would put forth. Methods of data collection It would be critical to collect primary and secondary data so as to exhaust all the avenues and have believable inferences. In retrospect, the information that we would obtain from direct interviews and questionnaires filled by the respondents would qualify as a primary source of information. All their responses would be collapsed as primary sources and then they would be assigned a requisite weight that is due to them.  Similarly, the information from other sources such as the data on books and online journals such as websites would also be considered.             Given the fact that such data management issues and breaches constitutes security threats and implications, it would be fair to compile the opinion and view of the websites and such secondary sources so as to help the research process to arrive at the proper inferences.  Accordingly, it would be fair to sample the opinion and input of the websites of the healthcare facilities such as the mission and vision statements put in the websites of the healthcare facilities. In the same line of thought, it would also be fair to get the view of the executive management of the healthcare facilities after data breaches through the online support mechanisms that they offer. Methods of Data analysis and Presentation Given the fact that this is an exploratory research, it would be proper and fair to record that quantitative aspects would be independently considered from the qualitative aspects. Quantitative research would encompass computing and presenting in tables and graphs the financial loss and reduction in the number of customers due to data breaches and hackings. At this stage, it would be easier to compute diagrams and graphs so as to represent the trends and then postulate prospective future patterns and lines of approach. On the other hand, since the qualitative aspects would include collapsing the commonalities of the respondents perspectives. This is to say that the opinion of the respondents which are similar would be treated as such and then coded for easy understanding and consumption by the general public. For instance, if many of the respondents such as patients complained that they lost trust, confidence or faith with the companies after data breaches. Conclusion The above essay has outlined the chronological steps and stages that would be followed to help the research process to reach the inferences and findings. The research question and topic of interest stemmed from the fact that in the recent past, there have been instances of data breaches and information being stolen from the databases of health institutions. The research gave the practical example of the Anthem Incorporated which outlined the reason as to why the public confidence dipped and went down (Burke, Estrin, Hansen & Srivastava, 2006). Accordingly, it mentioned the tenets and principles that constitutes quality data and how the same could be managed. By way of inferences and intuition, the essay has recorded that the government should also play a bigger role in ensuring that the databases and information is protected and managed effectively. For instance, there was the argument that the staff and employees who handle such information ought to be enlightened and trained on managing data in a safe and proper way. References Burke, J. A., Estrin, D., Hansen, M., & Srivastava, M. B. (2006). Participatory sensing. Center for Embedded Network Sensing. Bartlett, K. R. (2001). The relationship between training and organizational commitment: A study in the health care field. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 12(4), 335-352. Ferlie, E. B., & Shortell, S. M. (2001). Improving the quality of health care in the United Kingdom and the United States: a framework for change. Milbank Quarterly, 79(2), 281- 315. Katz-Navon, T. A. L., Naveh, E., & Stern, Z. (2005). Safety climate in health care organizations: a multidimensional approach. Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 1075-1089. Lee, Y. W., Pipino, L. L., Funk, J. D., & Wang, R. Y. (2009). Journey to data quality. The MIT Press New York City. Vogeli, C., Shields, A. E., Lee, T. A., Gibson, T. B., Marder, W. D., Weiss, K. B., & Blumenthal, D. (2007). Multiple chronic conditions: prevalence, health consequences, and implications for quality, care management, and costs. Journal of general internal medicine, 22(3), 391-395. Katz-Navon, T. A. L., Naveh, E., & Stern, Z. (2005). Safety climate in health care organizations: a multidimensional approach. Academy of Management Journal, 48(6), 1075-1089. Niles, N. J. (2014). Basics of the US health care system. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Read More