A multi-source approach to the development of health data analytics competency standards for health information managers

Abstract

Introduction: An important focus of professional associations is the development and maintenance of competency standards to ensure that practitioners and entry-level graduates have the right skills and knowledge. Employers of University graduates expect them to be ‘job ready’ and equipped to perform entry-level roles. The Health Information Management profession is particularly affected by a need to ensure that competencies are relevant to industry employers. Professional competencies need to reflect the ‘skill set’ necessary to working successfully in a context of the rapid uptake of digital technologies and applications. The Education Committee for the peak professional body representing health information managers in 2020 established a Working Group to prepare entry-level data analytics competency standards for graduates. The Working Group achieved its brief and when ratified, these competencies can be used by universities and other education providers to inform health information management curriculum development. Aim: The aim of this paper is to describe a multi-source approach used by the Working Group to produce relevant entry-level data analytics competencies for graduate health information managers (HIMs). Methods: The Working Group, comprised of experienced HIMs, met regularly, and formed three subgroups with assigned tasks to develop the data analytics competencies. Multiple sources of evidence were used to inform the final set of data analytics competency statements including horizon scanning, a survey of the Health Information Management Association Australia (HIMAA) member base and a review of current position descriptions for graduate entry-level health information managers. The survey results and position descriptions were used to validate the competency statements identified by the horizon scan. Results: Four domains for data analytics (governance, acquisition, analysis, visualization) and twelve data analytics competency statements were derived using this multi-source approach. Discussion: Working to time constraints and through collaboration, the Working Group developed a set of data analytics competency statements. This paper describes the process so that others wanting to develop competency standards can apply the techniques to achieve an outcome. There are several limitations to the process described here, such as the constraints of time, possible bias in selection of existing documents 11 that were sourced in the public domain during the horizon scanning step, and the use of volunteer members of the peak professional body representing health information managers. Conclusions: A multi-source approach can be used to develop and validate data analytics competency standards. These competencies for entry-level HIMs can be consolidated with the broader professional competency standards for HIMs and will inform curriculum design and ensure that the HIM profession is well placed to respond to emerging work opportunities that encompass data analytics.