HIPE is an extremely rich source of data, used to inform healthcare planning, delivery and funding, health promotion and research. Assurance should be provided in relation to the quality of this data to instil confidence in service users, clinicians and all other stakeholders that decisions are made based on high-quality information, the availability of which will ultimately improve patient outcomes.

The nine recommendations outlined in this report should be considered in conjunction with the findings of this review in order to improve information management practices for HIPE. The HPO and Acute Hospitals Division are responsible for preparing and implementing quality improvement plans to ensure that the areas for improvement are prioritised and implemented to improve compliance with the Information Management Standards. The HPO and Acute Hospitals Division should continue to assess their adherence to these standards between reviews by HIQA to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of the Information Management Standards.