Over the past decade, advances in technology have dramatically increased our capacity to collect and store a large volume of health-related data. As a result, Ontario has built up an impressive and extensive knowledge base of health information.

Now, through major government initiatives such as the Wait Times Strategy and the
E-Health Strategy, new patient data is being collected to track wait times and to enable the creation of electronic patient records. This data will eventually need to be consolidated. Additionally, new organizations, like the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) will soon require access to this wealth of information.

Accommodating the emerging demand for integrated, high-quality and comprehensive information is at the heart of the Information Management Strategy. The strategy was developed by first determining the current state of health information in Ontario, to identify :

1. Where and how data is collected and by whom;
2. Where the data is stored and how the data flows between the various databases and data warehouses;
3. Who has access to what information; and
4. Who makes decisions based on that information.

Through research, interviews and a thorough environmental scan of available information holdings in use in Ontario, the value chain of health information as of September 2004 (see diagram one) was mapped out.

This diagram is a representation of how information makes its way across the health system from its point of origin, when it is first collected, to its ultimate destination; the multiple end users who need information for research, planning, policy making or decision making.

As a result of this detailed analysis, a blueprint for the future state of information management (see diagram two) was developed. This diagram depicts a more organized, efficient, and ultimately more sustainable way of managing health information through its entire life cycle to meet the information needs of health system planners, analysts, managers and decision makers.

Key elements of the strategy depicted in the diagram (see items highlighted in yellow) include :

• At a provider level : A reduction in the burden of data collection and reporting through data rationalization, which involves eliminating redundant, poor quality or low value data, as well as closing information gaps.
• At a local level : The creation of partnerships among health care providers to help improve data quality and reporting timeliness through best practices, guidelines, standards and tools.
• At a system-wide level :
• The integration of data through the identification of authoritative information holdings, the virtual and/or actual integration of these information holdings, and the elimination of duplicate and low-value data.
• The development of a greater analytical capacity to support local and system-wide planning and decision making.
• The integration and alignment of the health system around key health strategies and performance measures in order to foster performance improvement.

Diagrams are provided in PDF format. To view PDF format files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer.    You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

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