What is the main goal of data governance in healthcare?

The main goal of data governance in healthcare is to ensure data accuracy and consistency. This involves establishing policies, procedures, and standards that govern the management of data throughout its lifecycle. Accurate and consistent data is crucial in healthcare as it directly impacts clinical decision-making, patient safety, and overall operational efficiency. Effective data governance helps to prevent errors, redundancies, and discrepancies in patient records, thereby fostering trust in the information used by healthcare providers.

While the other options are important aspects of healthcare operations, they can be enhanced through strong data governance practices. For example, enhancing patient care quality is often a downstream effect of high-quality, reliable data that allows healthcare providers to make informed decisions. Similarly, billing transparency and regulatory compliance are facilitated by accurate data management but are not the primary focus of data governance itself. Therefore, the foundation of effective patient care and operational performance begins with the governance of data accuracy and consistency.