| I don't know of a single medical practice | | | | not all offsite backup solutions are created |
| that does not perform some kind of data | | | | equal. When a practice is considering an |
| backup or save information on some medium. | | | | offsite solution, the following key factors |
| The correct choice often goes unnoticed, but | | | | need serious examination: |
| the incorrect backup selection can lead to | | | | |
| many issues. So what are some of the | | | | • Fast, easy installation-is there just |
| challenges you may face in a data storage | | | | one software application to install or are |
| environment? | | | | you required to install multiple agents to |
| | | | accomplish your backup needs? |
| • Traditional data backup is time | | | | |
| consuming, intrusive and unreliable. Mission | | | | • Accountability-can you easily access |
| critical medical data and information can | | | | real-time reports and/or is there email |
| only be backed up into whatever time is | | | | alerts to ensure that you will know your |
| available, usually during off hours or | | | | backups were successful? |
| weekends. | | | | |
| | | | • Fast and efficient data recovery- is |
| • Data restore is especially critical | | | | there quick restore capability? And is there |
| and must be fast and reliable. The backup | | | | an option of having the most recent data |
| process is usually uneventful, but the | | | | backup being stored locally and in the vault? |
| quality of data retention will not be known | | | | |
| until someone needs the data right now. Did | | | | • Data security-is there advanced |
| you know that 50% of tape back ups fail to | | | | security technology that is HIPPA compliant |
| properly restore data, and tape failures were | | | | to ensure safety and confidentiality of your |
| often caused by human error. | | | | data at all times? The minimum is AES 128 bit |
| | | | encryption, but one should consider AES 256 |
| Now there is a more effective solution; a | | | | bit encryption. |
| "managed offsite" backup solution which | | | | |
| securely backs up all of your network data. | | | | • Network optimization-is a solution |
| Backup is accomplished directly to an offsite | | | | capable of detecting data duplication and |
| secure vault. With this system: | | | | block-level incremental backup? Is the data |
| | | | compressed to reduce the amount of data |
| • there are no time-consuming manual | | | | transmitted to a vault? |
| programs; | | | | |
| | | | • Restorability-is there an enabler |
| • no tapes to manage or store; | | | | that ensures that data stored in a vault is |
| | | | restorable? Without this feature, there is no |
| • no expensive tape hardware to | | | | way to confirm data can be restored. |
| maintain; | | | | |
| | | | As for implementing an offsite data backup |
| • backup more often to minimize data | | | | solution, one must first perform an |
| loss between runs; | | | | assessment of all medical practice data. The |
| | | | assessment begins with locating the data, |
| • and quick recovery lost data. | | | | then identifying duplicate data to ensure the |
| | | | back up of the right and appropriate data. |
| Further, an offsite data back up system is | | | | Depending on the amount and size of data to |
| cost effective because you only pay for the | | | | initially back up, it may be downloaded to an |
| total aggregate amount of data protected-no | | | | external hard drive, enabling the delivery |
| matter how many servers, personal computers | | | | and uploading to a vault. All subsequent data |
| and laptops you are protecting. Typically | | | | backup would be completed automatically |
| pricing is based on gigabytes of data backup | | | | through a secure Internet connection. And |
| on a per month basis; and usually the more | | | | scheduling of thebackup could be throughout |
| you store the lower the price per gigabyte. | | | | the day, at the end of day or as dictated by |
| | | | policy. |
| If a practice is heavily invested in a | | | | |
| current backup system, one should consider a | | | | In sum, there are many solid data storage |
| migration strategy that begins with the back | | | | solutions. However, the traditional backup |
| up of practice management or EMR data to an | | | | method where tapes are used is expensive, |
| offsite vault. As the current backup system | | | | time consuming, unreliable and could spell |
| becomes obsolete, one can move additional | | | | disaster. In fact, 40% of firms that shut |
| data offsite. | | | | down for three days due to a disaster, failed |
| | | | within 36 months as cited in Contingency |
| In the final analysis, as with everything, | | | | Planning and Management magazine. |