Most healthcare IT professionals think of a master data set as a data warehouse. That is the form that it took early on. However, it can be so much more. It is a perfect opportunity to create a single source point to serve many needs. For example:

• Does your medical center need to mine clinical data to track effectiveness? 
• Do you need to track coders’ effectiveness so that your organization is paid in a timely fashion?
• Do you need a patient portal so that your patients can become more involved with their care?

The potential exists for a master data set to manage data for these activities and more. It is a versatile and effective way to move away from the silos that currently exist. I am not suggesting that this will replace all systems. You cannot roll all of the functions of a billing, lab, and radiology department into a single system, for example.

The challenge is how we define master data. Masses of data, if not handled properly, can create real problems. Like any large challenge, this must be taken a step at a time. There are many factors that go into making such an endeavor successful.  One is data accuracy.  Another is the data consistency, i.e. does the data look the same from all the systems feeding it?  My guess is that there will be issues with format and other things that will require data analysis and transformation to get to truly useful data.  Still another factor is the issue of merging duplicate records to come out with one version of a record.

So where should you start?  First, define a clear set of goals for what you want the data to do. Start small; decide on the data that meets most objectives.  If you want to mine data for clinical or claims purposes, then concentrate on that type of data.

Do not miss this opportunity to obtain control of and value from your data. There are many tools out there to help. They may be costly, but the value added in terms of their ability to deal with the large volumes of data cannot be overestimated.  Resist the temptation to do it yourself. The cost in terms of hours and frustration is not worth it.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Having data that is standardized, consistent, and trustworthy meets many needs. A master data set may be just what the doctor ordered.