headDivide.jpg NOTICE: The OPS Careers job alert service has been restored; to sign-up for job posting notifications through the OPS Careers job alert service please access the job alert subscription page.
navArrow1.gifSearch navArrow1.gifWho we are navArrow1.gifOur workforce navArrow2.gifHiring Process navArrow2.gifYouth And New Professionals navArrow2.gifFAQs

Job Specification
Position Title: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ANALYST
Job Code: AMAPCEO - General Admin Ama Unit AGA18, 18AGA
Job ID: 22148

Purpose of Position:
To conduct impact assessments to existing standards, specific data structures and/or services providers due to changes to national standards and/or reporting requirements, including identifying need for newt changed data standards, implementation, education/ training issues and developing reports/ issues papers on findings with recommendations in support of data standards development. To conduct data quality monitoring/ reviews of financial, statistical, clinical and other healthcare data to ensure availability and reporting quality for strategic funding, policy, and business planning decisions.

Duties/Responsibilities:
Within the Health Data Branch, which maintains data holdings housed inside the ministry Information and Information Technology (I&IT) cluster through the provision of business requirements for databases and IS systems to ensure quality health-system and program-level input and output reporting, the Position:

1. Conducts needs analyses to identify impacts on existing IM data standards to meet revised or new national / provincial data quality standards or new reporting/ decision making requirements (e.g. method of capturing a new financial code in Ontario Health Reporting System (OHRS) related to particular patient activity). Develops detailed data requirements, information flows, designs/ applies analytical method(s) and manipulates data to compare existing standards with identified/ business requirements and consults with Standards Bodies regarding application of existing external standards; identifies what new standards or changes to existing data standards are required to meet identified requirements.

2. Identifies and assesses impacts on specific data structures and/or on service providers who must provide data to meet newt revised standards; identifies implementation issues. Develops reports/ issue papers outlining options of how to implement newt changed standards with recommendation for preferred option based on risk management assessments. Provides support in the implementation of and management of change impacts within the impacted sector(s). Assists in the maintenance/ updates of reporting guidelines and standards to ensure that reporting changes are kept current.

3. Identifies education and communication issues as a result of implementation of new/ changed data standards and/or reporting requirements. Provides input into the development of training materials and assists in the planning/ development and/or delivery of annual education sessions on application of standards and data quality requirements.

4. Conducts routine / ad hoc monitoring and quality reviews of financial, statistical, clinical and other healthcare data across assigned sectors to ensure the integrity of data reports to facilitate information based decision making. Produces sample data for evaluation, validates the sample data against identified standards and develops an audit report for the Business Advisors that provides gap analyses, identifies data quality and data compliance to standards issues; provides recommendations on how to improve quality (e.g. revised data management policies, required training for service providers, etc.). Assists in the development of the annual plan for data quality reviews.

5. Conducts research and analysis in support of Unit projects (e.g. complex data quality investigations, development of analytical methods/ tools, new data quality assessment tests, etc.).

6. Provides advice and guidance to service providers, Branch colleagues and other Ministry divisions on application of new/ changed standards and reporting requirements. Attends committee meetings or meetings with service providers to participate in discussions related to identifying business requirements and/or impacts of proposed new/ changed standards.

7. Communicates IM business requirements to HSC specialists to changing or update database/ technology structures.
Fully tests newly develop/ changed system structures to ensure compliance to business requirements. Implements approved new / changed standards and reporting requirements, changes and corrections, related systems, models, tools and obtain data/ reports.

8. Researches, prepares and/or contributes to the development of briefing and presentation materials, user documentation, training materials, reports, analysis and evaluations related to business sector data requirements, data standard development, data quality and compliance issues.

Knowledge:
Position requires knowledge of the Ministry`s/division`s strategic directions and priorities for hospitals, mental health and long-term care, acute and community health care delivery systems, related legislation (e.g., Public Hospitals Act, Ministry of Health Act, Private Hospitals Act, FIPPA), Ministry healthcare management practices, health systems operations, issues and standards to conduct impact assessments in support of standards development and conduct data quality monitoring/ reviews to assess validity of information/ data in support of information based decision-making.

Working knowledge of healthcare reporting standards and requirements (e.g. healthcare information management) in one or more health sectors, good understanding of case mix and case weight methodologies, hospital performance agreements, accountability frameworks and decision making structures to conduct data quality reviews to assess compliance with data standards and ensure that data quality meets legislated and business requirements.

Sound knowledge of statistical research methodology, risk assessment techniques, reporting/ querying software (e.g. SQL), business intelligence tools (e.g. Cognos, SAS), data quality assurance techniques/ tools and proficiency with PC based common office software (spreadsheet, word processing, Access, database applications) to produce sample data for evaluation, validate against identified standards and prepare a variety of documents, including findings, gap analysis, managing risk in audit reports, briefing and presentation materials.

Strong conceptual, analytical, evaluation and problem solving skills to conduct impact assessments that identifies gaps, need for new / changed IM data standard, implementation, education/ training issues, data quality and compliance issues, to develop options and provide analytical support for Unit projects. Strong planning and organizational skills related to project work (project management) as well as personal deliverables, required to undertake a demanding workload to meet strict quality and deadline requirements.

Strong oral communications to consult, listen, provide explanations on application of new/ changed standards and present reports/ recommendations to branch management; written communication skills to provide reports containing plain language analyses/ explanations, briefing and presentation materials. Strong relationship management skills to foster cooperative business relationships with internal/ external counterparts, decision-makers and service providers.

Judgement:
Work is performed under the supervision of the Manager, Data and Quality Standards and carried out within the broad framework of the Ministry`s strategic direction for the assigned business sector(s) - Hospitals, Provincial Psychiatric L TCHs, Community Care Access Centres, Children`s Treatment Centres, Community Mental Health Agencies, Long Term Care Homes - relevant government/ ministry legislation, policies, protocols and standards requirements and national, inter¬provincial reporting requirements. Work assignments, technical direction, advice, guidance and review of completed work is provided by Business Advisors. Judgement is required in assessing impacts of new/ changed standards on existing standards, specific data structure(s), service providers, in identifying implementation, education/ training issues and in developing options that best balances Ministry/ data quality/ service providers needs, addresses issues and manages risks/ expectations; position contributes to creating/ deciding on data standards. Judgement is required in selecting sample data for validation, designing or selecting valid and reliable analytical methods/ tools, conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify data quality and compliance issues and providing recommendation on to effect improvements. Judgement is required in conducting research and analysis in support of Unit projects. Judgement is also required in advising service providers/ Branch/ Divisional staff on impacts and/or application of new/ changed standards or reporting requirements. Judgement is required in preparing reports, briefing materials and presentations, in testing and recommending ways to rectify data quality / compliance problems and maintaining effective working relationships with internal/ external stakeholders.

Accountability - Programs:
Accountable for conducting timely, accurate and complete needs/ impact assessments and analyses, reports and recommendations to identify/ incorporate business and/or reporting requirements in data standards development and identifying implementation, education/ training issues; for monitoring/ assessing/ ensuring data quality and data compliance to standards and providing recommendations on how to effect improvements; and for providing research and analytical support for Unit projects.

Accountability - Impact of Errors:
Errors in analyses / conclusions reached from impact assessments and data quality monitoring assessments if not identified by Business Advisor or manager could result in unreliable or incomplete data being used in analysis, reports and recommendations for senior management strategic decision-making. Failure to ensure data integrity could compromise the ability to provide clinical, financial and statistical data for business sector decision making within the Ministry. Failure to deliver work in timely manner could result in delayed reports and analyses that could hinder senior management decision making.

Contact - Internal:
Frequent ongoing contact with Branch/Ministry counterparts to provide analyses, options and recommendations related to standards development and addressing data quality and/or compliance issues. Frequent contact with Ministry data providers to discuss impacts of new standards and/ or reporting requirements, implementation of new/ changed standards, address implementation issues and provide advice on appropriate use of standards. Contact with Cluster I&IT service providers to provide input, identify technical IM support needs and test implementation of new/ changed standards.

Contact - External:
Contact with service providers in the assigned business sector and at large as needed to discuss impacts and implementation issues of new / changed data standards, data quality issues and provide user support.