Many people believe that legacy backups and archives are one and the same. However, they couldn’t be more wrong. Backup systems and archive systems work very differently and serve two distinct purposes, but both are vital to the successful storage of data, especially for health care practices.

Backup Systems

Backup systems should be used as a way to recover lost data. They store copies of data in case of an event that wipes the primary copy of the data from another system. It’s a disaster relief instrument used for data loss or corruption emergencies.

Archive Systems

An archive system is used for long-term storage of data and is not meant to be a data recovery system in an emergency. These are used to store the vast amount of data that health care practices are required to keep for anywhere between seven to 21years. Often, data in archive systems are accessed irregularly, but when it is, it’s usually for something important.

Why you need both

Because not many people are aware of the different purposes between legacy backups and archives, oftentimes archived data is not backed up. And this is a major problem.

Archive systems can be just as prone to disaster as any other IT system, and data loss and system failure of an archive system is big trouble. As mentioned earlier, while data in the archives is not accessed often, when it does need to be accessed, there is usually an important reason; not to mention that retaining data over a length of time is required by federal and state laws. In fact, HIPAA regulations specify major penalties for archived data loss.

That’s why it is vital for health care organizations to not only back up current data that is being used, but archived data from the past as well.

Legacy Backups and Archives – Better Together

This will require extra work and extra storage space, but it is necessary. It also helps to have a kind of organizational format to follow when storing legacy backups and archives. For example, a health care provider might consider storing current patient data on a local drive and older data in the cloud or another longer-term storage medium.

The important thing is to remember to still have copies of the data as well, and to back them up regularly. The older, archived data would not necessarily need to be backed up as often, since it is likely unchanging, but it would still need some kind of backup schedule, to make sure newly archived data is being backed up as well.

As a best practice, this data management should be on an automated schedule. Manual archiving and backing up can be very laborious and is prone to human error. If done manually, schedules could get off, data could accidentally be removed or deleted early, and it would be a tedious job to ask of IT staff.

Overall, the difference between backing up data and archiving data is significant. A health care practice does not need one or the other; it needs both. In order to remain HIPAA-compliant, you need to archive your data. To protect your organization and its clients from data loss, you need to back it up. Both systems are vital to the health of your health care services.

Partner Up

If we still haven’t answered your question by the end of this post, feel free to shoot me a message with any immediate questions you may have. However, stay tuned to this article for updates on more new features and requirements that come along.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, you must do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and start saving funds today by losing the need for hardware and software upgrades of those old legacy systems.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm and has developed the CHR Base product. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry.

Legacy Systems

Whether your legacy systems have discrete data, scanned images, text documents, or a proprietary format yet to be known, CHR Base works with all formats to quickly and easily display data from each patient across multiple systems.  We have worked with nearly every major EHR that exists. Some systems we’ve worked with include:

• AdvancedMD
• Allscripts
• Aprima
• Athena
• Care Tracker
• Centricity
• Cerner
• Chart Logic
• ChartWare
• Clinipro
• eClinicalWorks
• EMA (Derm)
• eMDs
• EPIC
• Greenway
• IMS
• Intergy
• Kareo
• Lytec
• McKesson
• MedEssential
• Medical Manager
• MedInformatix
• Meditech
• MISYS
• Netfile
• Nextech
• NextGen
• Patient Now
• Patientkeeper
• Practice Partners
• SOAPware
• SpringCharts

If you don’t see your legacy system here, don’t throw in the towel yet. We have never found a home-grown system we couldn’t access, and our team is dedicated to helping you accessibly archive your data. What exactly does that look like? Here are a few things you can expect with CHR Base.

Hosting a Legacy System /Administration

CHR Base can be hosted in our cloud or at your data center / co-lo for a hassle-free, maintenance-free experience! Our AWS environment is HIPAA compliant and secured to the latest standards, with 99.9% uptime.

You have the choice of multiple instance types, operating systems, and software packages, and you’ll have the freedom to increase or decrease capacity within minutes, not hours or days. Our team of helpful support reps are a moment away via phone, email, or ticket.

ROI Ease

When there is a need for a Release of Information (ROI) request, CHR Base has the capability to export the entire patient’s chart with a click of a button. Or you could choose only information based on an encounter date or clinical element. The output is PDF format, and it can be securely distributed quickly and easily

Reduce Overhead

You’ll get a chunk of your system retention department budget back by deploying CHR Base within your organization. Consolidating all of your legacy systems in one place reduces ongoing license, hosting, and maintenance/support fees for each system. There are no per-patient fees, and there are unlimited users allowed.

CHR Base is HIPAA compliant and can pass the Security Risk Analysis with flying colors. One secure stop for all legacy chart requests can be integrated into your current EHR!

Administration

Once your legacy systems have been consolidated from multiple systems into one master app, the data can be displayed in various ways. You can separate the data out by each individual system, or show it all on one screen by administering user roles by location / system.

The administrative area of CHR Base can also easily allow the addition of unlimited end users, permission handling, full audit capability, and many more settings for a great user and administrative experience.

Partner Up

If we still haven’t answered your question by the end of this post, feel free to shoot me a message with any immediate questions you may have. However, stay tuned to this article for updates on more new features and requirements that come along.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, you must do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and start saving funds today by losing the need for hardware and software upgrades of those old legacy systems.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm and has developed the CHR Base product. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry.

Let’s talk legacy data extract and the cloud. First, cloud-based technology has increasingly become the dominant way of storing data of all kinds for various businesses, organizations and practices. The health care industry is no exception. In fact, many health care professionals prefer the Cloud over in-house servers.

While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, Cloud-based products can have their drawbacks, including the amount of control you have over your own practice’s data—which is quite little usually. This is why it is crucial to understand the limits and features of a Cloud EHR system before purchasing. It saves a lot of headache down the road, especially when it comes time for receiving back your legacy data extract when you leave that system for a new one.

While Cloud-based EHRs seem less expensive upfront, in the long-run, they can end up costing a practice much more. That’s because while there is less investment in infrastructure, there tend to be more hidden costs for various features, which can include bulk extracting data. For some systems, there might also be a fee for extracting the data in a user-friendly format.

Is my Legacy Data Extract Even Viewable?

Other systems might not even have user-friendly options and will simply dump all of your data in a jumbled mess with no discernable viewing capability. That means even more money comes out of your business’s pocket to consult with an outside vendor to format your data into something readable and usable. Many vendors will offer an API that can help extract data, but you would likely still have to go through a consultant to help convert all the data you need.

The other thing you need to be prepared for when it comes to legacy data extract from a Cloud-based system is the reliability of the system and the amount of control and access that you have to your data. Because your data wouldn’t be housed on a physical server somewhere, you would have to rely on good internet connection to access your data.

If your internet isn’t reliable, you won’t be able to access your data. Also, because the Cloud system is through a third-party vendor, you do not get complete access. You have to go through a middle person in order to access your data, which leaves more room for error.

Know What You’re Getting into Ahead of Time

The bottom line is you need to make sure you understand the service you are purchasing with a Cloud-based system. After that, you will know what you all need to do in case you need to do a bulk extract of data at any given time.

You’ll be aware of the extra costs, the amount of access and other preparations you might need to make to cover the process. When it comes to bulk extracting your practice’s data from a Cloud service, make sure you understand the fine print, so you know what you will all be responsible for and can be prepared for the next time you will have to move to a new system or for any other reason you may have.

Partner Up

As more features and requirements are collected, we will post them here as well. If you have any immediate questions, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and save funds today by ensuring you dont need to upgrade the hardware and software of those old legacy systems.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm, and have developed the CHR Base product. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry.

As more and more new technology and the advancement for IoT in the health care industry, health care organizations continue to face the problem of figuring out what to do with old legacy systems and their legacy data.

For many health care providers, old legacy systems tend to be kept in place despite the security risks and high costs in money, time and effort in the long run to maintain them, especially within HIPAA compliance. Oftentimes, the conversation about what to do with the old system after transferring to the new system gets brought up late.

That’s why it is important to add archiving legacy data to the EMR system transfer discussions. By archiving legacy data, health care organizations can reduce the potential for cyberattacks, lower monetary costs for operating old systems and save valuable time and effort by providing a more efficient method for HIM and IT workers.

Potential cybersecurity risks

One of the biggest issues with legacy systems is the risk they pose to maintaining their information secure. When a system reaches its End-of-Life (EOL), it means software updates and support will no longer be available for that specific system. This leaves legacy systems vulnerable to cyberattacks against which they will no longer have secure protection.

It’s already happened to multiple organizations already, including hacks to BOOM! Mobile website, 2,000 stores using outdated Magento CMS, and a phishing attack on enterprise employees to upgrade Windows 7 (which Microsoft announced discontinuation of support back in January 2020). By archiving legacy data, you can discontinue legacy systems and their vulnerabilities to cyberattacks, keeping patient records and other data secure.

Lower legacy system management costs

Many legacy systems require high maintenance fees to not only keep the system up and running, but to allow access to the data they hold. What’s more, if they are out of date, there are more “band-aid” costs to try to maintain security and HIPAA compliance on a system that doesn’t receive automatic updates anymore. Even if you try to combine (virtualize or collocate) all your legacy systems and data in a data center, there are hidden costs that go up with each system you add, plus keeping them patched and updated.

Some health care organizations fear the upfront cost of data archiving and transferring to new EMR systems, but in the long run, archiving legacy data saves money and provides a better ROI over time.

Save time and effort with data in one place

There are different ways to archive legacy data, depending on the needs of each organization. However, overall, once the data is archived, it becomes much easier to access as everything is all in one place. This makes training staff easier since they don’t have to go through multiple trainings on different systems. With everything in one place, less time and effort will be spent going through old systems, benefiting both health care workers looking for patient records and HIM workers processing ROIs and other legal compliance measures.

These are just three main reasons to archive legacy data. No matter what, it’s important to save data and patient records, and there are many laws and regulations for how long to keep them. But with technology everchanging, it’s important that health care organizations are able to archive their data in a way that is accessible and cost effective. By removing data from old systems and transferring it to a legacy data archive, health care organizations will be able to provide top notch care, remain compliant with legal regulations and keep their patients data secure.

Partner Up

As more features and requirements are collected, we will post them here as well. If you have any immediate questions, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and save funds today by ensuring you dont need to upgrade the hardware and software of those old legacy systems.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm, and have developed the CHR Base product. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry.

At PDE Health, we strive to understand the unique needs of our clients and tailor a solution that best fits their needs.  We assign a Project Manager and Developers to each project to provide real-time support and timely deliverables. Each legacy system implementation is unique, but largely includes a current state review and analysis, small-scale testing, large-scale testing, go-live, and support. 

Please review and provide as many details as possible to the below questions.  That will allow for the best possible chance for project success.

SOURCE SYSTEM FOR EXTRACTION

•             Practice / Office Name

•             Source EHR System

•             EHR Version

•             Source DBMS

•             DBMS Server/Instance

•             Approximate Size of Database

•             Approximate Size of Images/Documents

•             Approximate Patient Population in legacy system

REMOTE ACCESS

In this section, we define how our consultants will access the client systems in order to extract data from the various legacy systems. Since it is possible that we will need to access multiple servers, there are several spaces below to define connection points.

•             Connection Type

• VPN
• RDP
• Other
• None

CONVERSION ELEMENTS

Please indicate which elements are to be extracted:

• Demographics
• Images
• Documents
• Encounters
• Vitals
• Assessments
• Immunizations
• Medications
• Allergies
• Chronic Problems
• Orders
• Procedures
• Labs
• Flow Sheets
• Notes
• Claims / Charges / Ledger Data
• Other – as each system is unique and custom content can be added, working with the client to ensure that all areas of the medical legal record are captured is a top priority. Luckily, we have worked with enough legacy system vendors and enough organizations to ensure we capture everything needed.

TIMELINE

Please indicate the date in which the data must be extracted from the source legacy system and delivered to the destination:

Date:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

If your organization is planning costs for archival, and plan on hosting the system locally, then it’s important to plan for a system that needs the approximate following specifications:

KEY CONTACTS

•             Client Project Manager – Stakeholder

• Name
• Phone
• Email

•             Client Project Sponsor – this is a user that is a decision maker who can start and stop a project whenever is necessary.

• Name
• Phone
• Email

•             Client Security Officer — this is a user that is a decision maker who can start and stop a project whenever is necessary.

• Name
• Phone
• Email

•             Client IT Contact

• Name
• Phone
• Email

Partner Up

As more features and requirements are collected, we will post them here as well. If you have any immediate questions, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and save funds today by ensuring you dont need to upgrade the hardware and software of those old legacy systems.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm, and have developed the CHR Base product. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry.

Archiving data obtained in the healthcare sector has eliminated the need for record rooms and paper data almost entirely, but is the system perfect as it is? Patient data increases by the gigabyte daily and giant mainframes are still in use, trying to store it efficiently. But managing patient data is a whole new ballgame. I mean, we have millions of gigabytes worth of patient data stored in mainframes all over the country, how beneficial is raw, categorized data? Legacy data archiving is needed now more than ever.

Why Do We Need to Archive Data in the Healthcare Sector?

There are a myriad of reasons why the healthcare sector needs proper data archival. The first being that the healthcare sector is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the global digital community. In fact, the annual growth rate of the healthcare segment is almost 50% annually. Naturally, to keep up with the growing data we need a sound and up-to-date archival system in which data storage and retrieval are both to our content.

Nearly 700 terabytes of data were generated per hospital in 2015 and in 2020 the estimated data generated has been around 2500 exabytes. All of this data is recorded by hospitals that update around 800,000 new records per hospital every year. This staggering amount of data generated every year needs a powerful legacy data archiving storage system to store and retrieve it.

The data that is recorded is not just in the form of written records of histories and examination results. Hospital data also consists of CT Scans, X-Rays, MRI results, and any other visual data that the patient may have provided. One three-dimensional CAT scan uses nearly 1 GB of storage. So we can get a rough idea of the volumes of data that is stored only in visual patient information.

What is Driving The Healthcare Sector to Archive Digitally?

Not only is there a general need to archive data digitally, but there are also driving forces that are pushing us to archive healthcare data with a developed system. For example, records need to be modified or updated because of patient expirations and to diversify their portfolios. Other than that, healthcare reforms occur rather frequently since the healthcare sector is also one of the most rapidly developing ones.

To keep up with these modifications, we need a well-built legacy data archiving system in which making changes and updates is not a hassle.

In addition to this, there is actually a minimum record retention period for every state. For example, you need to retain data in Washington, North Dakota, and Kansas for 10 years, in Utah, California, and Indiana for 7 years, and Alabama and Georgia for 6 years. In Minnesota and Massachusetts, you need to store the data for 30 years. In most states, PHI or protected Health Information needs to be retained for 7-25 years.

Because of this constant need to update the system with the available information, we need an archival system that is easy to operate and can retrieve all kinds of information with ease.

Many factors make a complex clinical system that needs to be archived digitally with ease. These include radiology information, lab reports, revenue management, storage of pictures and visual aids, and even a system to manage the practice in a hospital. All in all the complex clinical system needs an equally competent archival system.

How Do We Benefit From Archiving Data?

There are quite a few benefits to be had from a data archival system. The first and foremost one being the reduction of storage costs. Archiving data properly can create around 90-95% savings in the overall revenue of the clinic when compared to system licenses and complex infrastructures.

Other than that, because of cloud-based storage systems, the risk of losing data is minimal. Paper records were lost extremely easily, but even backups stored in buildings were threatened by disasters such as fires and other hazards. Losing data in a competent archiving system is nearly impossible.

Legacy data archiving systems are also very easy to access. The interface is often friendly enough to be run by most of the hospital’s staff so you can grant special access to nearly anyone who can run a computer!

A well-developed data archival system will also help you to consolidate data, which means that you can categorize data into one place so it is easy to access, especially compared to raw data that would require a lot of sifting to get through.

Another fascinating aspect of legacy data archiving systems is that you can comply with different branches of the same hospital or different hospitals in a specific state to collect and consolidate different data from all over the country.

Naturally, the benefits of having a proper system to store and manage patient data are endless.

What are the Possible Data Elements that We Need to Keep Track of?

Now, what exactly are the different data elements of each patient that we need to keep track of? What exactly is the average digital footprint of a patient?

Allergies are some of the most common patient information that a hospital needs to keep track of. No matter what hospital in the country you visit, if your data is archived properly, the hospital can pull it out from the cloud and keep track of the allergens that give you a reaction.

Other than that, there are immunizations, medications, a complete history of the past and present of the patient, results of lab reports, and scanned images, including X-Rays, CAT scans, and others that the patient has given out through the years.  

If stored properly, these data elements can actually help in saving lives and make the overall healthcare sector stronger in the United States of America.

What are the Key Elements of a Legacy Data Archiving System?

So we have a complete picture of why we need a proper data archival system for our healthcare sector. Now, what exactly is a well-developed, competent archival system offering us?

The key elements of a good data archival system include an integration system. An integration system can combine data from different sources into a coherent, comprehensive form that is easy to interpret by anyone who has access to it.

Other than that, a competent legacy data archiving system is also fully secure. The data is encrypted so unauthorized personnel cannot have access to it and it can only be obtained by staff with special access. The data is stored in systems and also on the cloud so that you can have access to it from anywhere in the world. Not only that, but data stored on the cloud is nearly impossible to lose since it is not physically present anywhere. Cloud-based storage can also keep data safe from short-circuits, fires, and other such disasters.

Data archival systems are also highly reliable. For example, they have more than 99.9% SLA Uptime, which means that the system is available and operational 99.9% of the time.

All the data archived in the system is also available in a single repository which makes it secure and also accessible by specially authorized personnel only. The data of each patient is also isolated from the rest so that only specific people can make use of it when necessary.

 All in all, a good data archival system is of utmost importance to the healthcare sector in the United States. It is the best way to store and retrieve patient data in an ever-developing world where new information is available every single day.

Partner Up

In any scenario where you need to be medico-legally accurate, get some help. Reach out to your legal staff, state websites, and industry experts who can ensure that you have all of the information you need to plan your legacy data archiving record retention accordingly.

If you aren’t sure where to start in your unique scenario, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

Revenue Cycle Legacy Data Archive Features

• I want to have the ability to attach supporting documentation (EOB/Letter) to archived claims/encounters/accounts or have a searchable way so that it is accessible for future reviews
• I want to be able to search/print supporting documentation on archived accounts so that if there are inquiries, I can locate them.
• I want to store charge data that is patient specific, charge specific, encounter specific so that I can identify and follow up on any inquires in a timely manner
• As an RCM leader, I want to be able to search by patient name or date of birth
• As a user of the legacy archive system, I want to be able to locate a specific encounter, data of service or patient by various options so that the system is easy to use
• I want the ability to be able to post payments to an outstanding balance so that all patient balances will be reflected accurately
• I want to be able to generate an industry standard patient statement with detail on payments, adjustments, charges, etc. so if a patient requests this information, I can easily print the statement and send to the patient
• I want to view the last claim for each payer assigned to a specific encounter to be easily available for reference if a payer requires a copy or I need to rebill the insurance
• I want to be able to view details and EOBs so that I can figure out how to resolve any possible credit balances on an encounter
• I want the ability to create reports that show appropriate detail so that I can submit the report to our Finance team, and they can issue a refund.
• I want to be able to track refunds ( include check #s, data of issue, amount, etc.) in the system and post those refunds in a way that keeps the patient account/encounter balance accurate
• I want to have the copies of patient statements readily accessible & able to be printed in the archiving system so that I can respond to patient, attorney or payer inquires after the encounter(s) have been archived
• I want the ability to product HCFa1500 and UB claim forms and or their electronic equivalent so that I can bill a payer, attorney, etc. if needed after the encounter has been archived. ( corrected claim or repayment as two possible reasons why a claim would be needed)
• I want the archive solution to retain alerts and release of information logs so they can be reviewed and printed to meet operational and regulatory requirements
• or Medical Records Release vendor I want to be able to batch print and batch fax documents in a record
• I want to have an archive solution that I can determine the age of charge information based on date of service and patient date of birth so that I can comply with the company retention schedule
• I want to be able to categorize the documents that are stored so that I can adhere to the different retention requirements in our retention policy
• I want to have a logging of when and which billing records are released so that I can comply with HIPAA
• I want to have an archive solution that can track the specific business unit (division or system) in which the data originated

Access Control and Reporting for Legacy Data Archiving

• I want to be able to limit access based on specific roles or criteria( on user access) so that unexpected changes do not occur
• I want to know how many users can access the Archive at a time
• I want to have view only access for those users who need to review but not change data in the legacy archive system.
• I want to have single sign on capabilities or multi factor authentication, so I can comply with security
• I need to have a way of reporting credits/debits on open claims so that we can best track what is still in there
• For reporting purposes I want to retain all line-item charge and transaction data,
• For reporting purposes I want to retain all encounter level data to include charges, 3rd party payments, patient payments, balance and status.
• For reporting purposes I want to retain all available schedule data including appt details and patient demographics
• To be able to print out patient specific charge and payment activity when requested
• A report that will accurately identify any patient encounters needing a refund and include detail so that I can process the corresponding refund check
• I want to be able to generate daily reports on transactions posted

IT and Tech Legacy Data Archiving Requirements

• To know the implementation support model so that I can be assured to have the appropriate resources to implement the system
• If historical data from multiple different systems can be converted into the legacy archive system so that I can readily access prior data after legacy system is discontinued
• To know the Post Implementation Support plan so that we can be assured to have resources in place to support the software at/after go-live
• SSO functionality so that users do not have to login once logged into pc/laptop
• Robust Reporting capabilities from the legacy archive system so that we have better access to reports, tailored to our business needs
• Auditing capabilities so that we can easily audit system related records as needed
• To be able to query the database directly/do a raw data extraction so that I can create custom reports if needed
• To know how data extraction is planned so that we can understand resource and cost associated

Partner Up

As more features and requirements are collected, we will post them here as well. If you have any immediate questions, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

Whether you are closing your practice for retirement, a new job, financial hardship or any other reason, it takes a lot of work for health care physicians to properly leave their practice and remain compliant with legal and professional obligations to their patients as the custodian of record. One of the most important things that practitioners need to consider when closing their practice is the handling of medical records and their former patients’ access to them in the future.

Depending on what works best for you and your situation, you have a few options to choose from: 1) continue to store medical data and answer requests for records even after you close or move; 2) sell or merge your business and transfer records to the new practice; or 3) get a third-party custodian of record to take care of your practice’s medical records.

Keep your practice’s medical records

Your first choice is to keep your patients’ medical records and remain the custodian even after you close your practice or leave the area. Because of HIPAA, you are legally obligated to provide your patients access to their records. However, different states have different laws regarding how long you are to keep those records—it could be as little as five years or as many as 10. You have to make sure you know what you are legally bound to.

It’s important to note that in this scenario, it’s not just your obligation to keep the medical records, but to comply with any ROIs that come your way. It will be your job to make sure that your patients have the ability to retrieve their records, and you will be the one who must respond to subpoenas, audits, complaints, etc. by releasing the necessary records.

Sell or merge your practice

If you aren’t necessarily closing your practice, just selling or merging it, the most sensible thing to do regarding medical records is to make sure they get transferred over properly to the new practice. You will still technically be legally responsible for making sure the medical records are available, so it is crucial that you have a proper agreement that specifically states patient data will continue to be available. It would be wise to keep a backup copy of the medical records as well.

Get a third-party custodian of record

The best option, if you do not want to worry too much about the records, remaining compliant and other legalese, would be to find a third-party vendor to become the new custodian of record for your practice’s data. A third-party custodian can be another person or company that you hand over the records to and will be in charge of all the record requests and legal filings that might come down the road. While the services will vary in cost depending on what you require, this option allows you some peace of mind knowing you will not have to be in charge of all the extra responsibilities when you are ready to close up shop.

One last thing

At the end of the day, you are still responsible for the medical records of your past patients. Just to cover all your bases, you should still keep a copy of your practice’s records for the designated amount of time. It is also your job to communicate with your clients about your practice closing so they are able to find a new physician, request their records, and transfer them over. This not only is your legal obligation, it can also save a lot of headache for you and your clients when they are in need of their records and your closed for business.

Partner Up

As more features and requirements are collected, we will post them here as well. If you have any immediate questions, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and save funds today by ensuring you dont need to upgrade the hardware and software of those old legacy systems.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm, and have developed the CHR Base product. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry.

CHR Base will work with you to:

• Develop a plan that minimizes disruptions to your organization’s operations
• Determine which data to convert so your new EMR includes what’s necessary and important
• Extract and convert documents and discrete data – including lab reports, radiology images, invoices and more – from your old system to your new one
• Digitize any paper records and x-rays and add them to your new EMR system with the highest possible fidelity
• Maintain the highest data integrity

CHR Base does not sell EMR systems. We have relationships with most EMR providers and will work with them to seamlessly convert your data & images, regardless of the source system. We will ensure all your inputs are mapped correctly to maintain the highest fidelity. Our discrete conversions keep your data safe and accurate while allowing you to take full advantage of your new EMRs features.

Minimize costs, risks and downtime

You may be tempted to leave your legacy data in your old system. Don’t. Maintaining two EMRs is a very expensive decision.

CHR Base specializes in discrete data extraction and conversion. We know what to expect and how to seamlessly bridge data between systems. Our experience and integrated solutions help practices overcome the challenges with conversions.

We are Lean Six Sigma certified and have extensive project management expertise. We will complete your data migration project on budget and on time, allowing you to realize your EMR’s benefits faster.

Stay compliant and take full advantage of incentives, with legacy data reporting

CHR Base is HIPAA qualified and works with ePHI daily. We understand the rules and regulations and will strictly adhere to any additional specifications your organization may have. We will work with you to develop a custom process that meets your requirements and helps you qualify for Meaningful Use and other incentives. Legacy data reporting is a large part of that effort.

Local Installation vs Cloud Hosting

CHR Base is most often installed locally, as HIPAA-secure cloud hosting continues to be quite costly.  However, if cloud hosting is the directive, we recommend AWS.  A few words about AWS straight from the source:

Scale Computing

Amazon EC2 enables you to increase or decrease capacity within minutes, not hours or days. You can commission one, hundreds, or even thousands of server instances simultaneously. You can also use Auto Scaling to maintain availability of your EC2 fleet and automatically scale your application up and down depending on its needs in order to maximize performance and minimize cost.

Flexible Cloud Hosting

You have the choice of multiple instance types, operating systems, and software packages. Amazon EC2 allows you to select a configuration of memory, CPU, instance storage, and the boot partition size that is optimal for your choice of operating system and application. For example, choice of operating systems includes numerous Linux distributions and Microsoft Windows Server.

Fully Integrated

Amazon EC2 is integrated with most AWS services such as Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS), and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) to provide a complete, secure solution for computing, query processing, and cloud storage across a wide range of applications.

Reliable

Amazon EC2 offers a highly reliable environment where replacement instances can be rapidly and predictably commissioned. The service runs within Amazon’s proven network infrastructure and data centers. The Amazon EC2 Service Level Agreement commitment is 99.99% availability for each Amazon EC2 Region.

Secure

Cloud security at AWS is the highest priority. As an AWS customer, you will benefit from a data center and network architecture built to meet the requirements of the most security-sensitive organizations. Amazon EC2 works in conjunction with Amazon VPC to provide security and robust networking functionality for your compute resources.

Reporting

When it comes down to it, the EHR is meant to assist in the delivery of care; legacy data reporting, while useful, is a secondary consideration. That’s not to say that reports shouldn’t be included in the EHR, because a lot of value can be derived from them. They are useful in a multitude of ways, from simple reports such as problem-based patient populations, to reports on scheduled appointments or charges.

Still, reporting often requires a finer level of detail than a canned product can provide, and even input parameters may not allow for that necessary level of control. Often, small differences in workflows cause data to be found in different fields, making out-of-the-box reports less practical. As requirements evolve, the complexity of even a simple report can multiply, and the reporting logic should have the adaptability to accommodate these changes.

In today’s data-centric environment, custom legacy data reports are incredibly useful in tracking progress on both external measures, such as HEDIS or PQRS, and internal organizational initiatives. 

Custom legacy data reporting can provide tremendous value. They can expose workflow deficiencies, assist in clinical and administrative decision making, and provide necessary data to third parties for patient care or financial reimbursement. Let CHR Base help your organization make better use of your EHR data.

Partner Up

In any scenario where you need to get data our of an old system, we can help. If you aren’t sure where to start in your unique scenario, shoot me a message, I can steer you in the right direction.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

A common question we receive almost weekly pertains to the duration to the legacy data archival and maintaining of medical records for any given healthcare organization. There are often many layers of ambiguity when comparing federal and state laws, and each organization must navigate these choppy waters in order to comply with those regulations.

On a case by case basis, we must of course consider many factors, including but not limited to, Physician specialty/type, (records for pediatrics are especially complex), state statute of limitations, paper and digital storage methods with proper access for patients and physicians, whether or not a practice is closing, custodian of record, record destruction guidelines, medical liability insurance considerations, and more.  

A good rule of thumb is to check initially with your legal council, followed by your state’s code guidelines. It’s a good idea to contact the state to make sure the latest information exists on their website, as often newly passed legislation doesn’t appear right away on the website.

Legacy Data Archival  – Retention Periods

But for purposes of this article, we want to focus largely on how long to maintain the records for each state, any outliers we may not be aware of – the ONC actually has a nice cheat sheet for all states available, which can be found here, although an updated version has been requested:

ONC: State Medical Record Laws: Minimum Medical Record Retention Periods for Records Held by Medical Doctors and Hospitals*

The state average for maintaining the medical record is 7 years following the discharge of the patient, or date of last service. For minors, it’s typically the same 7 years or until the patient reaches the age of 21, whichever is longer. Again, each state has their own code regulations, and staying up to date on those regulations is a priority. 

Beware the Outliers of legacy data archival

The reason it’s so important to check with each state’s code, is that there can be many one-off pieces of the code that are wildly important but can go unnoticed, For example, there are some pieces of information that require retention subject to other requirements, such as original xrays or tracings etc. Another example is the state of California would prefer a patient chart from a physician office be kept indefinitely where possible.  

There are even portions of code in some states where if a patient dies in the hospital or within 30 days of discharge and is survived by one or more minors who are or claim to be entitled to damages for the patient’s wrongful death, the hospital must retain the patient’s hospital record until the youngest minor reaches age 28. Legacy data archival systems are imperative here.

Partner Up

In any scenario where you need to be medico-legally accurate, get some help. Reach out to your legal staff, state websites, and industry experts who can ensure that you have all of the information you need to plan your record retention accordingly.

No matter what you end up doing with your legacy systems, do something. “There are two types of people in this world, those that have lost data, and those that are about to.” Archive those old servers and save funds today by ensuring you don’t need to upgrade the hardware and software of those old legacy systems. Beyond costs, there are fires, floods, hardware failures, data breaches, and more.

-Dan Holleran | 314-471-3409 | dan@pdehealth.com | www.pdehealth.com

PDE Health is an advanced data solutions firm, and have developed the CHR Base product, a legacy data archival system. Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we can do as a good business partner in the healthcare data industry. We pride ourselves in ensuring that each client receives a return on their investment, as saving funds is a top priority in today’s market.