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Information Governance
When and individual gives personal information to providers, doctors, nurses, etc. they
expect this information to be kept private and confidential. They are trusting that this
information will be handled correctly and they place a significant amount of trust into all of the
individuals involved. Health information in particular is one of the most sensitive types of
information and needs to be protected in order to maintain the trust between patient and
provider. The information also needs to be accurate and complete. Without this, the
information is invalid and can lead to many problems including misdiagnoses and treatment.
AHIMA created Information Governance (IG) as a way to try and set standards of
handling private information. Many definitions of IG exist, however AHIMA’s definition states
that, “in healthcare we must value, control and assure trust in our information. This requires
governance. Governance requires the adoption and ingraining of principles, a framework, rules
and managed processes” (AHIMA). When an organization adopts this way of managing
information it helps both the organization and the patients. It improves the patient’s quality of
care and trust in the organization. It reduces the risk that a mistake will be made due to
inaccurate or incomplete information. Information Governance was established on eight key
principles:
• Principle of accountability
• Principle of transparency
• Principle of integrity
• Principle of protection
• Principle of compliance
• Principle of availability
• Principle of retention
• Principle of disposition
These principles provide guidelines and a structure for organizations to follow to ensure proper
www.ahima.org
www.cms.gov
