In our first healthcare data matching blog, Three Data Matching Challenges in Healthcare , we talked about how healthcare provider (HCP) and healthcare organization (HCO) data matching are particularly challenging when a unique identifier is not available. We discussed how problems with data cleanliness and completeness can arise, the ambiguity of data leading to false positives, and the lack of appropriate tools to help matching in this specific context.
In this blog, let’s explore some of the most common themes that are overlooked when considering matching solution.
When the data you need to integrate originates from another department or from a system that was not intended for matching, a cleaning and reformatting data process may be needed. Ideally, the matching tool is built with data preparation (data staging) features that can be customized and automated. These pre-processing features need to include:
In addition, data staging/pre-processing features should be built with appropriate rules and understanding of the reference and context of the input data.
Without a good knowledge of the healthcare landscape and lexicon, matching exercises can lead to all sorts of ambiguous results. When considering a matching tool, you should ask:
Choosing a tool that has not been designed with the main goal of matching healthcare data is like choosing a fork to eat soup . Here are some questions to keep in mind when choosing a solution for your organization:
Some other useful features, although not necessarily healthcare specific, include:
When we worked with clients on data management projects, we found clients struggling with these same issues. In order to help our clients and our own teams, we developed a tool that could be automated to handle the complexities of healthcare specific data. We created this tool to handle ad hoc -- or on-demand -- matching requests. We architected this tool to be quick, easy to use, intuitive, and to not require programming knowledge or extensive training. We ensured the tool will keep track of the records matched and allow a data steward to review ambiguous records. And most importantly, considering our small and mid -sized clients, we built a tool that did not require a huge investment
IQVIA's On-demand Matching offers a nimble, affordable and healthcare-specific solution to solve your data matching challenges.
To get more information on our unique approach to overcome healthcare data matching challenges, view the On-demand Matching video available on our website now or contact Canadainfo@iqvia.com.