Draft National Standards for Information Management in Health and Social Care

Status: Published on

HIQA has developed Draft National Standards for Information Management in Health and Social Care. The draft national standards represent a revision and expansion of the scope of the Information Management Standards for National Health and Social Care Data Collections which were published by HIQA in 2017. This revision involved widening the scope of the standards beyond national data collections to include all services and organisations that collect, use or share health and social care information.

The aim of the Draft National Standards for Information Management in Health and Social Care is to provide a roadmap to improve the quality of health and social care information, which will ultimately contribute to the delivery of safe and reliable care.

The standards are set out under three principles to ensure that: data processing activities are conducted in accordance with a rights-based approach; an organisation is accountable by having all of the necessary governance arrangements in place to manage information appropriately in line with relevant legislation; and an organisation is responsive by having arrangements in place to adapt to the changing health information landscape, to take a systematic approach to information governance, and to ensure that maximum benefit is achieved from its data and information.  

We want to hear your feedback on the draft national standards. 

Having undertaken a comprehensive evidence review and convened an Advisory Group to inform the development of the Draft National Standards, HIQA is now holding a public consultation from 24 October 2022 to 19 December 2022. The public consultation gives people the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft national standards and become involved in the development process by submitting their views to us. 

As these standards will apply to a wide range of organisations that process health and social care information, we welcome feedback from everyone who works for these organisations, people that use health and social care services and their families, patient advocates and members of the public.

We will carefully assess all feedback received and use it in the process of finalising the standards.

The fastest way is to complete the online questionnaire here. Your comments can also be submitted by downloading and completing the consultation feedback form below and then emailing your completed form to us at: healthinformation@hiqa.ie. 

Alternatively, you can complete and post the completed form to us at:

Health Information and Quality Authority, 

Health Information Quality Team,

Unit 1301, 

City Gate, 

Mahon,

Cork

T12 Y2XT

 

The deadline for receipt of submissions is 5pm on Monday, 19 December 2022.

At the end of this public consultation, your comments will be collated and will inform the development of the final standards. HIQA will also be running focus groups with health and social care professionals and representatives of patients and people using services to further inform the development of the final standards. Once approved by HIQA’s Board, the final standards will be submitted to the Minister for Health and will be published on HIQA’s website. 

The consultation feedback form is available online here or can be downloaded below.

HIQA published Information management standards for national data collections in 2017. An evidence synthesis of international evidence on governance structures and information management arrangements in place for national health and social care data collections was conducted in 2022 which includes an ‘as-is’ analysis of the current situation in Ireland. This paper was used to inform the draft national standards and ensures that they are evidence-based and fit for purpose in an Irish context. 

  • Draft National Standards

    Download

  • Consultation feedback form

    Download