The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published an ‘International review of national health and social care data collections’. HIQA’s review of international experience and best practice found that having national health social care data collections with quality data leads to improvements in the quality of care patients receive.

Dr. Kevin O’Carroll, Acting Director of Health Information Directorate in HIQA, said: “HIQA recognizes the important role played by national health and social care data collections and the potential they have to increase the quality and safety of health and social care in Ireland. This international review found evidence that data quality within national health and social care data collections better informs patient care, national policy and research.”

HIQA’s review considered health and social care data collections in Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and Scotland and found a number of key characteristics necessary for establishing quality data collections.

Dr. O’Carroll continued: “Having one central organization that governs either all or most of the national data collections is instrumental in ensuring the quality of a data collection. These countries also consistently monitor the quality of data with tools such as the Data Quality Statement. Additionally, we found that these countries all use health information standards (including technical standards) and benefit from having unique health identifiers in place.”

“HIQA is committed to contributing to the development of effective and efficient national health and social care data collections.”

HIQA is currently undertaking a public consultation on draft information management standards for national data collections to inform how health and social care data collections in Ireland are maintained. For more information, including how to submit a response, please see www.hiqa.ie.

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