Posts Tagged: legacy systems

The Real Cost of Maintaining Legacy Systems: Reduce Your Tech Footprint

Posted by & filed under Healthcare, Pharmacy.

cost of maintaining legacy systems

Every healthcare organization wants to reduce IT costs. Now with the impact of COVID-19, expectations on IT spend globally will shrink by eight percent. So, you’re probably looking for ways to reduce your tech footprint. The cost of maintaining legacy systems is something that can decrease costs. It also has many other benefits relating to accessibility and compliance.

Let’s look at the real cost of maintaining legacy systems and how to eliminate them.

Legacy Systems Still Prevalent in Healthcare

It’s not unusual for pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare systems to keep health information system (HIS) legacy platforms live. The why is complex.

Sometimes it’s because of limitation to a new system on what kind or how much data converts. Other times, it’s a choice not to migrate all data and keep the legacy system up to meet medical record retention mandates. There are other organization-specific reasons, but the reality is that legacy data management is expensive and risky. 

Are You Missing Opportunities to Reduce Your Tech Footprint?

When keeping a legacy system running, you’ll continue to pay the maintenance and usage fees. The system also remains part of your infrastructure. No matter where you host the data, you’re paying for it. If it’s on-premise or in a private cloud, it’s also taking up space. That could cause problems as you evolve your IT structure.

Legacy Systems Are Expensive Storage Bins

Legacy systems really become very costly storage bins. You may only end up using them when you need records for an audit or patient request. So, while the legacy system is great at storage, it’s probably cumbersome for reporting. It may require considerable manual work to pull out each record. This scenario is a strain on resources, costing you time and money.

Another Cost—The Threat of Data Breaches

legacy system archive

Data breaches are some of the most expensive incidents that can occur. Unfortunately, you may be exposing your legacy data. This possibility is especially true for sunset systems. They are no longer updated or maintained. Without new versions, it’s easier for hackers to find ways into the system.

A data breach can lead to fines and payouts to victims. It will also likely cost you your reputation.

Archiving Removes Legacy Systems from Your Tech Footprint

The alternative to legacy systems is an archiving tool. It’s a web-based platform that holds data, documents, and images. It’s highly secure, HIPAA compliant, and satisfies record retention requirements. 

There are no regular maintenance fees. Plus, the hosting is by the provider, so it doesn’t bloat your tech stack. 

By choosing to archive, you could save substantially and have a better way to manage legacy data. It provides reporting features and is customizable to your specific needs. 

You’ll experience all the benefits and more with ViewMaster! Watch the video and request a demo today. 

Is Your Patient Data Archive Safe?

Posted by & filed under Healthcare.

patient data archive

Keeping patient data safe and accessible is critical for every healthcare organization. Problems often occur when you keep a legacy system running to store your patient data archive. It seems like an innocuous decision. But as many have learned too late, it heightens the risk of a cyberattack. 

Colorado Hospital Loses Records After Ransomware Attack

This scenario played out for a Colorado hospital. A ransomware attack wiped out over five years of patient medical records. 

The incident was specific to their legacy EHR. It didn’t infect the EHR database bur rather the proprietary software required to read those records. 

The hospital announced the breach to its patients and its new protocols on security. They were able to recover some files via backups. Other records remain lost at the time. 

This story illustrates the threat of legacy systems. The consequences include the breach, which could mean exposure of personal information. In addition, the loss of records may impact continuity of care.

What’s Wrong with Legacy Systems?

It’s common practice for entities to keep legacy systems running as a means of storage. Medical record retention laws define how long you need to preserve certain records. To make it “easier” during a data conversion, many opt not to migrate all data. 

Converting all data when you switch to a new health information system (HIS) is understandable. Why drag old files to a new system? Except, depending on a legacy system as a secure custodian of records leaves you open to cyberattacks.

If you don’t continue to update and maintain legacy systems, there will eventually be cracks. Cybercriminals only need a slight one to find a way to penetrate. 

On top of the security risk, legacy systems are expensive and hard to navigate. It’s not an ideal solution. Many believe it’s the only one.

There’s a Better Way to Archive Patient Data

patient data archive secure

To avoid a ransomware attack and data breach, you should know two things. 

First, you need to ditch your legacy system. Instead, you should seek a medical record archiving application. With a web-based system, it’s accessible from any browser. Such a tool should follow all compliance mandates. It should also be easy to use. 

With this transaction viewing solution, you can search and filter. It provides a way to run reports for audits or record requests. Further, it must use advanced information security protocols like encryption. 

Second, you need to have a third-party, cloud-based backup of historical data. The hospital, in question, does remark there was a partial recovery via backups. However, the story suggests its backup policies may not have been consistent. 

Backup shouldn’t be something you have to worry about. It should be part of your archiving solution. Anybody can offer you a backup product. Scrutinize your options, asking things like:

  • Does the cloud storage use encryption?
  • Does the data center undergo regular risk assessments?
  • What is the uptime average? 
  • Does the data center meet certain certifications? (HIPAA, HITRUST, SOC 1, 2, & 3, etc.)

Ensure the Security of Your Patient Data Archive with ViewMaster

ViewMaster, our proprietary transaction tool, makes archiving simple. Its intuitive design means it’s user-friendly, so you can find what you need fast. 

Unlike legacy systems, ViewMaster doesn’t have maintenance fees. It’s a platform that helps you meet record retention requirements and is completely secure. Plus, it comes with offsite backup in the cloud. 

It solves all the problems of traditional patient archives. We invite you to see how it. Watch the video and request a five-minute demo today. 

Legacy Data Management: What Are Your Options?

Posted by & filed under Healthcare.

legacy data management

Data is the foundation of decision-making. When you have the ability to aggregate data from multiple systems, you can drive insights and accelerate implementations. But what are you doing with legacy data? With a strategic legacy data management plan, you’ll have more flexibility around accessibility and portability. 

Legacy data shouldn’t be a challenge to your operations. Let’s look at what your options are.

Legacy Systems Are Impeding You

If you currently must keep legacy systems running to store your data, then you are well aware of the pain points. Large healthcare systems and other industries typically have a long list of applications from EHRs to ERPs to business intelligence platforms. Those legacy systems still running are actually a huge roadblock for most organizations. 

You may need to retain the data to meet record retention guidelines or still want to analyze that data to develop predictive models or other intelligence. The problem lies in the fact that a legacy system may not be integrated with your applications. Further, it may no longer be supported, especially if it’s a software sunset, which could leave you open to risk. 

So, what’s your legacy data management plan?

Legacy Data Management Options

legacy data management options

Depending on how you’ll use legacy data, you have multiple options that allow you to completely decommission these old systems and provide you the operability you need.

Converting Legacy Data

In some cases, you may want to migrate legacy data to a new system. A data conversion facilitates this move. Due to data complexity, its privacy and security mandates, and its structure, this isn’t a simple process. 

Data conversions, especially in healthcare, are a specialty niche. It’s a lot more than copying and pasting. Filed mapping, encryption, and validation are all critical for a successful data conversion. 

Archiving Legacy Data

Many healthcare organizations choose to archive their legacy data. By using a web-based, secure archiving tool, you can retain access to patient records, images, and other data elements with ease. 

By employing data archiving, you can completely retire your legacy system, saving you time and money. Just be aware that not all legacy archiving systems are designed the same. There are vital questions you should ask when choosing a platform. 

Moving Legacy Data

A third option is to move legacy data to a completely different application. It’s possible records from your old EHR need to be shared with decision support systems or chronic condition management platforms. In this case, it’s not really a conversion because you aren’t mapping to a system that works the same.

Instead, you’d want to consult with a data sharing provider. Data sharing should provide a seamless and compliant exchange of merging new data into this new application. This may require custom programming to ensure accuracy and that records amend accordingly. 

Your legacy data may help you with the big picture questions you are trying to solve. It’s not obsolete or in need of a purge; it simply needs to be moved to serve a greater purpose.

Other Considerations: Data Cleaning

Before you determine what option works best for you, you’ll also need to think about the quality of the data. Pushing dirty data into new systems will cause new problems. Data cleaning can be time-consuming, so be sure that your data management provider can deliver this service as well.

Legacy Data Management: Is Your Data Working for You?

The value of your data is only as good as its quality, accessibility, interoperability, and portability. If it’s sitting in silos, it’s not going to work for you. If you need legacy data solutions, tap our data management experts. We have decades of experience managing data with conversions, archiving, and sharing capabilities. Get in touch to see how we can assist.