The Significance of Information Quality for the Secondary Use of the Information in the National Healthcare Quality Registers in Finland.

Background The aim of the national healthcare quality registers is to monitor, assess, and improve the quality of care. The information utilized in quality registers must be of high quality to ensure that the information produced by the registers is reliable and useful. In Finland, one of the key sources of information for the quality registers is the national Kanta services. Objectives The objective of the study was to increase understanding of the significance of information quality for the secondary use of the information in the national healthcare quality registers and to provide information on whether the information quality of the national Kanta services supports the information needs of the national quality registers, and how information quality should be developed. Methods The research data was collected by interviewing six experts responsible for national healthcare quality registers, and it was analyzed using theory-driven qualitative content analysis based on the DeLone and McLean model. Results Based on the results, the relevance of the information in the Kanta services met the information needs of the national quality registers. However, due to the limited amount of structured information and deficiencies in the completeness of the information, relevant information could not be fully utilized. Deficiencies in information quality posed challenges in information retrieval and hindered drawing conclusions in reporting. Challenges in information quality did not diminish the intention to use the information when information was considered relevant. Solutions to improve information quality included structuring, development of documentation practices, patient information systems and quality assurance, as well as collaboration among stakeholders. Conclusions The Kanta services' information is relevant for the national healthcare quality registers, but developing the quality of the information, especially in terms of structures and completeness, is the key to fully enabling the secondary use of this information.