Successive reports have pointed to specific issues affecting the quality and management of data, such as incomplete patient chart documentation, non-compliance to province-wide standards and lack of access to education for those entering in data.

On December 1, 2005, the Ontario government announced the establishment of 14 Local Data Management Partnerships to enhance the health system's capacity to manage information and address data quality issues. The new Local Data Management Partnerships bring together health information management officials from hospitals and the community care sector in each of the 14 new Local Health Integration Networks. They will work together to identify best practices, standards, tools, and policies for better data quality and management.

The goal is to allow faster access to the data that is documented by clinical teams in hospitals and case managers in Community Care Access Centres and the data that is collected and reported by their health information managers. This will eventually enable health care system managers and decision-makers to measure what needs are being met, to determine where the need is greatest, and to make informed decisions that will contribute to the better management of health care resources. Ultimately that means a better quality of care for people across the province.

The objectives of the Data Management Partnerships will be :

• Making local data management processes more effective and efficient
• Improving the timeliness and quality of data
• Making more effective use of scarce health information management resources
• Encouraging health care providers to adopt best practices.

For more information, read the Brochure [PDF] about the Local Data Management Partnerships.

Backgrounders 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.

© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2002  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimers  |   Last Modified :