HCA’s Digital Health Unit has been actively progressing initiatives in health sector information quality advocacy since the 35th Patient Classification Systems International (PCSI) conference in Reykjavik in 2022. In May / June 2024, we were honoured to be invited to present at the 36th PCSI conference held in the beautiful city of Bled, Slovenia. The conference theme, “Code, cost, analyse and fund: Let’s harness the value of casemix,” resonated deeply with our ongoing research and education efforts.

Director Lee Ridoutt represented HCA at the conference, where he conducted a follow-up presentation on our initiatives since the previous conference. This included an update on our search for courses aligned with essential competencies identified for health sector information quality advocates (IQA). This research culminated in the publication of a pivotal paper titled “The Competencies Needed by Health Sector Information Quality Advocates,” featured in the Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, which you can read in full here.

Lee’s presentation also discussed our follow-on research to better understand the context factors that influence IQA competence requirements and prioritise competencies most essential for information quality advocates.

We are pleased to announce the development of a Community of Practice that will continue to discuss and evolve the role of the IQA and create appropriate professional development opportunities. This Community of Practice will focus on issues of data quality in different health care settings, countries and digital maturity environments. We will be sending out invitations to join this Community soon, but if you want to ensure you don’t miss out on an invitation, register your interest HERE.

Later in the year, with the help of the Community of Practice, we will be developing and releasing a comprehensive online course of 5-6 modules to support competency development in the role of an Information Quality Advocate. Prior to that, the course will be undergoing testing across various healthcare settings.

Participating in the conference provided us with invaluable insights and opportunities to collaborate with global leaders in patient classification systems. As we move forward, HCA remains dedicated to developing innovative solutions and advocating for excellence in health sector data management. We look forward to sharing updates on our course launch and further research findings as we continue to drive positive change in healthcare delivery through enhanced data quality practices. Stay in touch with us through the Community of Practice or by registering your interest HERE.