Introduction
Information or data regarding any subject plays an effective role in daily routine. Similarly, for the purpose of treatment and medication in the parameters of healthcare, there is certain clinical information use to be collected in order to encourage the treatment known as Secondary Healthcare Data (Health & Social Care Information Centre). According to Price Waterhouse Coopers, by the appropriate use of data in terms of secondary purposes, would be the most effective method regarding improving healthcare costs and outcomes (Coopers). The efficiency of secondary data can be observed in different dimensions such as in keeping medical records, death certificates, billing files, public databases, etc. (Hulley, Cummings and Browner). Although, along with the time, different aspects of Healthcare Data has been reshaped but still there are some barriers that act as a hindrance in the way of data collection and health programs implications. There are certain issues and barriers in terms of regulating data evaluation in which the most prompt are IT related issue, Cost issues and ethical issues which have emerged due to the lack of awareness and informed consent (Law).
Examples Secondary Healthcare Data
Secondary use of Healthcare data encourages encountering the challenges concerned with health along with benefiting the patients and the healthcare organizations by mean of collaboration (such as alliance between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organization) in different means.
Healthcare data plays a vital role in several aspects such as in retaining and sustaining health, and it also provides collaboration, business opportunities and value to each stakeholder. It also provides the set of different potential benefits. In order to make it more effective, there is a need to ensure certain principles. Such as the rights and the privacy aspect of each patient must be protected, there must be backup incentives for stakeholders for the purpose of reporting or collecting the used data, data should be transparent by the attainment of the highest rates of security and privacy. There must be implication of different innovations concerning health, and improving various skills concerning IT and technology. There are several examples present in the system of the society that make use of secondary data. Few of these examples are as follows.
Pharmaceutical Companies
Secondary Healthcare data means effectual in different terms such as, it comprises the data regarding the patient that can be used for a different reason including clinical trials, to monitor safety and the credibility of regarding drugs before its market release. In order to create the effective drugs concerning any disease or disorder, pharma companies significantly require such data that ensures the effectual treatment of the patient (Palgon).
Tumor Registries
Another source of use of secondary healthcare data is Tumor registries. Tumor registries are government-supported agencies that evaluate and collect the statistics concerning cancer incidence, treatments and there regarding outcomes in various geographic areas. In US, certain registries cover approximately one-fourth of its whole population, and the areas of coverage are likely to be increased in within some years. The main purpose behind these registries is aimed to provide data to the health investigators working outside through SEER program. The investigators use this data in various healthcare parameters. For example, they used the acquired data through the SEER registry of breast cancer that resulted in 13% decline to the rate of breast cancer in the period between 2001 and 2003. Due to this, the major reduction is marked in hormone therapy in postmenopausal women.
On the basis of the analysis as according to the SEER registries, it has found that by avoiding the hormone therapy, the risk of breast cancer can also be minimized accordingly.
Death Certificate Registries
Another example regarding the secondary use of healthcare data is death certificate registries. In US, the National Death Index includes the total rate of deaths in the country that includes the information regarding the death such as the causes of death. The certain death index can be utilized in various other means, and it is also accounted as the effective source in term of enhancing healthcare in the country.
NHANES
NHANES is known as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It holds the set of different surveys in terms of assessing the health and Nutrition status in different age groups including both adults and children. The survey makes use of different population-based data, and it also includes self-reported data based upon demography, socioeconomics, health and diet-related behaviors. It also embraces physical examination, laboratory tests and the number of several other examinations. It assesses with the population base estimates concerning disease prevalence, causatives and different other variables. For example, during the period between 1988-1994 and 2005-2006 the BMD (bone mineral density) of the hip was measured. It was found that the rate of osteoporosis in both men and women who relate to different races was 2.5, which was below the average BMD value for adults as according to the standard of NHANES. Furthermore, after the implication of the several treatment plans the certain decline was observed in the rate of osteoporosis in both men and women.
Barriers and recommendations
It can be stated that it is essential for the evaluation of the patterns to utilize the clinical outcomes of medical treatment. It often complements the information acquired through randomized trial and encourages examining different questions that have not been answered in the trials. There are different modes of acquiring data for secondary use that includes electronic administrative, clinical databases and all the other records and surveys developed by Medical departments, diseases databank and registries.
Hence, there are certain barriers that cause ineffectiveness in using secondary data. It particularly deals with transparency, quality, inappropriate management and the poor access to a certain data. According to the research, it has found that about 90% of the pharmaceutical companies and the other health organizations do not have proper access to the clinically maintained electronic health records. There are about only ten% healthcare organizations that have full access toward obtaining the authentic data. Whereas, 41% have partial access toward it, and there are about 49% organizations that do not have any access in regards with collecting healthcare data.
These barriers are present in the healthcare system due to the lack of proper IT systems. It is because these IT systems are not well-designed in term of evaluating secondary data. The IT-enabled collaboration between the data providers and the other healthcare organization enables the healthcare organizations in getting the broader and better insight of all the health concerning issues. For the implication of effective healthcare programs and introducing new drugs in the market, it is essential for the healthcare organizations to have access towards the context of scientific data-based researches.
Data transparency is another vital constituent that is needed in healthcare system of the society that can only be enhanced through meaningful use of data along with the emergence of new payment models. Although, healthcare has been at the verge of unsustainable cost curve where declining reimbursement, bundle payments and different regulatory modifications justifies the nation’s headed steps towards severe healthcare issues. It is the issue that is needed to be addressed on a wider level so that healthcare would be in the reach of each.
There are certain ethical issues that act as a hindrance in using data for a secondary purpose. There is the major cultural shift that is needed to be implemented on the healthcare system of the society is that the data must be shared. As according to different researches, it has found that the healthcare organizations are taking initiative towards this step. Such as pharma companies are getting more open about sharing data and enhancing this emerging culture in the society. In this way, different effective changes would occur in a society that will enhance healthcare system in a different manner.
Conclusion
Hence, it can be stated on the basis of the above context that if these recommendations would be undertaken by the healthcare department of the country then there will be more opportunities to deal with several diseases in a more advanced manner and because of which the rate of death, the rate of patients and disease will also be decreased in the society. It will bring a major impact in terms of increasing the economical growth of the country accordingly.
Works Cited
Hulley, B, Stephen, et al. Designing Clinical Research. Netherlands: Wolters Kluwer, 2014.
Coopers, Price Waterhouse. "Transforming healthcare through Secondary Use of Heathcare Data." 2104. 13 September 2014. <file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/computer/My%20Documents/Downloads/Transforming-healthcare-through-secondary-use-of-health-data_0_0.pdf>.
Health & Social Care Information Centre. Secondary Uses Service (SUS). 2014. 13 September 13. <http://www.hscic.gov.uk/sus>.
Law, Margaret. 2005. 13 September 2014. <http://www.iassistdata.org/downloads/iqvol291law.pdf>.
Palgon, Gary. Secondary Use of Healthcare Data. 22 January 2013. 13 September 2014. <http://www.contractpharma.com/issues/2013-01/view_features/secondary-use-of-healthcare-data/>.
