There are numerous factors that require healthcare providers to include an active archive solution in their information technology (IT) mix.  A few of these factors include merger and acquisition activity, EHR system replacement, and the duration of record retention required by geographical state, facility type or medical specialty. Archives are important to a healthcare organization’s overall data management strategy as they streamline the IT portfolio (which can include up to hundreds of software applications in larger enterprises) as well as allow for the decommissioning of outdated legacy systems that lack in functionality and can leave the organization at risk for technical failure or data breach.

When it becomes necessary for healthcare providers to switch archive vendors

A recent article citing an industry report states that healthcare providers are focused more than ever on finding a health data archiving vendor that meets their needs with the right price, sales experience and system functionality. The article also highlights that it is becoming more common for a hospital to switch its archive vendor when that vendor falls short by missing data, not meeting timelines, or lacking integration points with major electronic health record (EHR) systems like Epic, Cerner, and MEDITECH.

Harmony Healthcare IT is an “archiver of archives”

Harmony Healthcare IT, an award-winning data management firm, is frequently called upon by large hospitals and health systems to archive an application portfolio of legacy systems as well as an existing archive of one of its competitors. Reasons why Harmony Healthcare IT rescues large healthcare enterprises from legacy data management projects that have gone off track with other archiving vendors vary, but, here are three case studies:

AltaMed.  When 27 terabytes of complex dental records halted an archiving project at a community health network in Southern California, Harmony Healthcare IT dug into handling the odontogram records that stumped the original archiving vendor.  As a result, Harmony Healthcare IT delivered a customized legacy data management solution with a seamless integration between the archived records and the go-forward production system, Epic. Read the story in Healthcare IT News.

Parkview Health.  A nonprofit, community-based health system in the Midwest migrated to a new EHR which displaced 50 other clinical systems with legacy data in need of archiving.  The first archiving vendor selected for the job didn’t meet Parkview’s expectations for the process, the timeframe, or the end product.  Because of this, Harmony Healthcare IT was called in to provide a cohesive strategy, rescuing the archive initiative to get the system decommissioning schedule back on track. “Our archiving project is moving forward with success because of Harmony Healthcare IT,” explained Rick Miller, IS Director of Corporate Solutions at the time of the archiving vendor switch. Read more in this case study.

Children’s Minnesota.  When Children’s Minnesota determined that its originally-selected archiving vendor wasn’t meeting their expectations, the health system turned to Harmony Healthcare IT to complete its legacy data management initiative.  Watch the Healthcare IT Today interview with CIO Dave Lundal to hear tips on what to look for in an archive vendor and solution to get the selection right the first time.

Nine lessons learned from providers who have replaced archive vendors:

1. Inventory your legacy systems. Take due time to document a complete inventory of legacy systems targeted for decommissioning and archival.
2. Choose a proven archive vendor. Ensure the archiving vendor has experience extracting and migrating data from the name brands and data set sizes that are in your legacy system inventory.  Large, multifaceted programs require more experience than a straight-forward, one system archival project.
3. Involve your Data Governance team. Meet regularly with a cross-functional team to document archival requirements, record retention and destruction needs, and other project-related issues.
4. Archive sooner than later. To save cost and avoid losing subject matter experts that know the legacy systems, archive early in the EHR implementation process—especially when acquiring or merging with new practices or hospitals.
5. Dedicate archiving staff. Appoint a lead program manager to serve as the main point of contact for all archiving and related EHR integration projects.
6. Involve subject matter experts. Ask end users of the archive—such as representatives of the clinical, HIM and Account Receivable teams—to evaluate the user interface and workflows of the active archive solution to strengthen support and user satisfaction.
7. Make archive security a priority. Ensure that the archiving vendor selected to store your protected health information commits the necessary security resources, measures and controls.  Here are 10 privacy and security questions to ask your archiving vendor.
8. Integrate the archive with your EHR. In a hospital setting, linking the archive to the active EHR (i.e., Epic, Cerner or MEDITECH) with patient matching and Single Sign-On functionality is a best practice to ensure in-context access to historical records.
9. Document an archival strategy. Formally document a solid legacy data management strategy to serve as a foundation for future consolidation of legacy patient records and to help streamline the IT portfolio as acquisitions are made or community entities are onboarded (i.e., through Epic Community Connect or Cerner Community Works).

Health data management is a big job that is getting bigger. Data volumes continue to outpace every other industry, 21^st Century Cures Act requirements must be followed, and record retention periods often require 20+ years of storage.  Each of these points make active archiving an important solution to keep patient, business, and employee records accessible, usable, interoperable, secure and compliant.

Active archiving is a smart move forward. Harmony Healthcare IT can help make sure you don’t take a step backward, losing time and money.  Harmony Healthcare IT also can help if you need a strong partner to finish a stalled project.

Our team has been consistently ranked as the #1 data extraction, migration, and archival healthcare IT company according to Black Book Market Research for three years (2019-2021) as well as ranked #1 in the 2020 Best in KLAS Software & Services Report as a Category Leader in Data Archiving.

Let’s connect.

With the growth of healthcare data outperforming other big industries like manufacturing, financial services and media/entertainment; an information lifecycle management strategy is key. In thinking about a health data strategy, there are three categories in which to group electronic health record (EHR) systems and other software applications in healthcare: current, aging and obsolete.

• These EHRs and software applications are actively maintained and driving forward with patches, updates, and maintenance contracts in place.
• These EHRs and software applications aren’t the latest version with the newest features yet are still actively supported with patches and updates applied as necessary to troubleshoot issues.
• These EHRs and software applications are no longer sold, supported, patched or updated with increased vulnerability and security risk.

Software used in healthcare delivery organizations quickly moves from one of these categories to the next.  That’s why developing or updating your organization’s legacy data management plan – including which systems to decommission by when —  is one of the most important strategic long-haul efforts you can make. Following a systematic decommissioning program for outdated technology in healthcare reduces risk, ensures compliance, increases security, simplifies reporting, and decreases cost.

What are some current technology obstacles and gaps in healthcare?

• Hardware or operating software systems reach a point where they can’t be upgraded
• There’s no one left in the organization who understands how a certain program or system works
• There are workflow issues that are causing negative impacts in the organization
• Systems are kept running in read-only mode, driving up cost
• There is a lack of integration amongst systems in the organization

While the aging of EHRs and other software applications is inevitable, keeping obsolete systems and applications up and running isn’t necessary.

If you reach a point where your outdated healthcare technologies – the hardware or the operating system – can’t be upgraded, and there isn’t anyone in the organization who understands how it works, it’s time to move forward with migrating the data to a newer system or an active archive, like HealthData Archiver^®.

The biggest misstep is to do nothing, which carries far greater risk system vulnerabilities, failures, and security breaches.

Four steps to focus on to create and/or update your legacy data management plan 

1. Work with business users – Make sure you have all the information needed to understand the needs and wants of the user community, such as Single Sign-On access from the go-forward system
2. Keep an up-to-date inventory of all systems in play – Document the portfolio of systems and applications. If you need a tool, here’s a complimentary inventory template.
3. Focus on compliance – Get a handle on Cures Act requirements and other specialty and state data retention guidelines.
4. Create a systematic approach – Develop a process that can be repeated across the organization to decommission legacy operating systems and applications.

The end goal is to ensure the clinical, financial, and business data in your organization is accessible, usable, secure and compliant.

The decade ahead and the promise of interoperability.

Experts predict that the coming decade will continue to see unprecedented transformation in healthcare technology. Significant growth is expected in solutions that increase accessibility, integration, IoT devices and interoperability between EHRs. The less systems there are up and running in an organization, the fewer locations there are to address interoperability.

All things considered, health data may spend more time in an archive than it spends in an active EHR.  

Many organizations have 30-40 or more legacy systems that need a safe, secure, and compliant long-term home for the data within their care. There are a lot of outdated healthcare technologies– all of which contain critical data — that are ripe for a better long-term data storage and access plan. Plus, often the data housed in the aging and obsolete systems must be retained for years or decades beyond what the EHR is able to support.

Where there once were thousands of EHRs, now there are roughly 500, with the lion’s share of the market controlled by three big players in terms of revenue: Epic, Cerner and Allscripts.

The Harmony Healthcare IT team works with healthcare delivery organizations of all sizes to make sure data is available, reportable, researchable and interoperable from within an archive versus stored in disparate, aging systems reaching obsolescence. With an active archive solution you should expect to:

• Lower costs
• Reduce risk
• Fortify cybersecurity defenses by decommissioning out-of-production applications
• Make legacy data more accessible to users and patients

Harmony Healthcare IT’s full-service legacy data management solutions: HealthData Archiver^®, HealthData AR Manager^®, and HealthData Locker^™ are ready to help your team meet its best practices goals for complete lifecycle data management. We’re proud that Black Book^™ Rankings, a division of Black Book^™ Market Research, ranked Harmony Healthcare IT as the top Data Archiving, Data Extraction and Migration company.

Don’t let your aging and obsolete applications get you down.

We can help.

Let’s connect.

The 1.03 million licensed EMTs, paramedics and other Emergency Medical Services (EMS) patient care professionals in the United States depend on information gained at the scene to make quick and meaningful decisions during the more than 28 million calls they go on each year.  Current guidance from the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) requires EMS responders to gather onsite information from the patient including items such as onset of symptoms, provocation, pain, symptoms, allergies, medications, past medical history, and events leading up to the 9-1-1 call.

National guidance also recommends that a completed EMS medical record, called Electronic Patient Care Reporting (ePCR), should be provided during the transfer of care from EMS agencies, ambulance operators, and fire departments. Currently, 48 states require 911 ground ambulance services to also submit EMS response and patient care data to a national database.

An ePCR, which typically runs on a tablet in the ambulance, stores assessments, treatments, and narratives.  This software, which has recently replaced paper-based documentation, often includes drop-down selections and intake forms that not only speed documentation but also offer reporting and analytics.  Like any software, an ePCR sometimes doesn’t meet the needs of the users and ultimately gets replaced.

Decommissioning ePCR Systems while Still Meeting Record Retention Guidelines

When there is a decision to decommission an ePCR system, the legacy data can either be extracted and converted to the new ePCR or migrated and secured into an active archive solution like HealthData Archiver^®.  As ePCR data conversions can become costly and complex, an active archive is a good alternative for keeping records accessible, usable and secure for the duration of the retention period.  Often, the best practice is to convert demographic and key clinical data dating back 24-36 months to the new ePCR and archiving as well to store a compliant and comprehensive record.

In short, active archiving is a business-essential strategy for EMS agencies, ambulance operators and fire departments to effectively manage legacy health data when an ePCR system replacement occurs.

As a proven and experienced health data management company focused exclusively on healthcare, Harmony Healthcare IT is familiar with more than 550 unique software brands that store medical data.

If you’re ready to talk about data management for your legacy ePCR records, let’s connect.

The Situation 

A MEDITECH customer since 1996, Magnolia Regional Health Center (MRHC) upgraded from MEDITECH MAGIC to the 6.1 platform. In the upgrade, two years of clinical data was migrated to 6.1, which left more than 20 years of legacy clinical, financial (accounts receivable), and business data (payroll, GL) trapped in silos across each facility. The legacy application portfolio included eight legacy applications, 26 legacy databases and more than 350,000 patient records. To access legacy records, clinical and health information management (HIM) teams needed to log into multiple, disparate systems.

“We had legacy data sitting out there in unsupported, unpatched systems. We needed to get that data out primarily for regulatory purposes and then retire those applications,” explains Brian Davis, CHCIO, Chief Information Officer.

The 200-bed acute care community hospital in Corinth, Mississippi needed a guide to legacy health data management, a partner that could archive the legacy records to ensure easy access by clinicians and HIM, as well as compliance with state retention and 21st Century Cures Act regulations.

Place link in anchor text “guide to legacy health data management

The Solution

Brian Davis said MRHC selected Harmony Healthcare IT to handle its legacy data management strategy primarily because it has “more experience in archiving than the other vendors and that the archive design would be patient centric with a Single Sign-On from the go-forward MEDITECH EMR.”

The two-phased archiving project includes acute EMR data in phase 1 and ambulatory data in phase 2. Harmony Healthcare IT’s active archive solution, HealthData Archiver^®, positions MRHC well for future release of information requests from patients, other providers, payers and other parties. In addition, HealthData Archiver^® provides A/R wind down with the flexibility of utilizing a collections agency with specific permissions which avoids the need to
manually enter data.

MRHC selected Harmony Healthcare IT as its archiving vendor because it could deliver:

• Exceptional usability in terms of Single Sign-On integration, navigation and the ability to easily find information
• Detailed functionality including the ability to wind down A/R, release information within HIM workflows, and purge records once they’ve met the retention policy
• Solid value with a focus on low recurring costs and a fair total cost of ownership

Vendor selection was based on an evaluation matrix of 26 measurements in 7 categories:

1. Usability
2. Functionality
3. Reporting
4. Vendor Reputation/Support
5. Implementation
6. Cost
7. Security

Cost Savings Generated from Archiving is Significant

Phase 1 – Estimated cost savings of more than $300,000 over a 5-year period. This estimate is conservative as it does not include staff time cost savings for having one integrated location to access information or the maintenance cost
from a scanning/archiving tool.

Key cost-savings measurements:
• Discontinuation of prior EHR support fees
• Decrease in IT management/overhead to support legacy applications
• Productivity gains from single release of information process, integrated access
• Reduction in hardware and virtualization support

Benefits & Results

Single Sign-On – “Moving to a single patient record from scattered records located within individual facilities is a big step forward,” said Davis. The Single Sign-On capability provides users with 24/7 accessibility to legacy records from within the active MEDITECH EMR.

Purging Functionality – “The granular level of purge parameters within HealthData Archiver^® provides superior record management and compliance compared to our previous solutions,” explains Davis.

A/R Wind Down – “We needed a solution that would support A/R wind down. We started with the Transaction Posting Module and are adding on Collection Agency Management function which is a big benefit as we won’t have to manually enter data into the archive,” said Davis.

Scalable Solution – “As we look into acquisitions and bringing on additional ambulatory facilities, we need a solution that is scalable and can move and grow with us. Any system we bring to Harmony, they have experience and knowledge about it already,” said Davis.

Written by David Navarro, Senior Director of Data Science, Harmony Healthcare IT

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) covered a lot of ground at its annual meeting this year. Interoperability, as a part of the 21^st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) was a primary theme with breakout sessions and resources shared with attendees to help address concerns and implementation schedules.

Micky Tripathi, ONC’s Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the Department of Health and Human Services, shared in his opening remarks:

The important thing for us all to remember about innovation is that it’s not a thing, it’s a mindset. It can be boxed in with a million different design decisions about policies and technologies and workflows that prevent us from even realizing that we’ve boxed ourselves in. Our job in health IT is to not allow technology to box us in.

He went on to talk about how health IT is charged with creating open architectures, both from a policy and technical perspective with the expectation of systems interacting with each other across organizational lines to break down silos.

Legacy Data Management Removes Silos and Supports Compliance with Cures Act Rules

The electronic health record (EHR) is charged with housing current records and sharing those health records. Likewise, a legacy data archive, which centralizes records from a vast array of out-of-production software in the healthcare delivery organization (HDO), must  serve up interoperable data when called to do so. HDOs must define their data set and make sure it adheres to regulations like the information blocking rule of the Cures Act.  Harmony Healthcare IT is focused on removing data silos and improving long-term access to usable, secure, and compliant data for HDOs.

ONC Meeting Focus: Driving Interoperability with Modern Solutions

Key themes discussed throughout the annual meeting centered on health IT solutions that are vital for the industry to fully realize the Cures Act interoperability requirements:

TEFCA – The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement to facilitate the exchange of health data across a national network. For more on TEFCA, check out my blog: Understanding TEFCA and its Role in National Interoperability.

USCDI – The United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) is a standardized set of health data classes (categories) and constituent data elements for interoperable health information exchange. USCDI serves as a minimum guide for provider organizations on what data classes and elements will be stored and made interoperable. For more on USCDI, check out my blog: USCDI: Supporting Interoperability Requirements of the Cures Act.

HL7 FHIR API – The Final Rule of the Cures Act requires many modern technologies that need to be integrated to enable health information interoperability. This includes HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources Application Programming Interfaces, and specifically targets APIs that have the greatest impact on patient care. For more information, check out my blog: 21st Century Cures Act and the Push for REST API Adoption

Prepare to move forward with interoperability best practices to meet Cures Act requirements.

As a data management firm that moves and stores patient, employee and business records for healthcare organizations, Harmony Healthcare IT can help your team address its lifecycle data management strategy and implementation plans. Whether you are preparing active or legacy patient records for interoperability, our team of data experts may be called upon to assist with the development of your strategy and contemplation of how legacy data will play a role.

If you are ready to get started on talking about your health data and the need for interoperability, contact our team.

Additional Resources

Recap of the 2022 ONC Annual Meeting Part 1

Watch the 2022 ONC Virtual Annual Meeting On-Demand

HL7 Resources

As Senior Director of Data Science at Harmony Healthcare IT, David Navarro drives interoperability initiatives and focuses on the curation and accessibility of data in the healthcare ecosystem.

Healthcare technology focused on women’s health is on the move upward. While historically, investments in healthcare technologies and products for women’s health have been low, a few years ago investments began an uptick, totaling $354 million in 2017 with an expected “femtech” global market potential expected to reach $60 billion by 2027. Femtech refers to innovative software, diagnostics, apps and products to address menstruation, fertility, menopause, chronic conditions, sexual wellness and general healthcare specific to women.

It’s not a new concept that women have many unique health issues – pregnancy, childbirth and menopause; and that women also experience other health issues differently than men. Now there are more and more technology-based initiatives aimed at supporting the unique health needs of women.

Healthcare Teams Serving Women Need Access to the Complete Patient Narrative

This is good because, according to the Commonwealth Fund report, women need more routine medical attention than men and also are more likely to have conditions that require ongoing medical attention – family planning, reproductive healthcare, perinatal screening, mammograms, cervical cancer screenings and more. This specialized care often involves primary care physicians, gynecologists and other specialists.

A robust medical record system that can be accessed throughout the care network is key to maintaining this information and providing women with solid care over time. And with multiple providers supporting one female patient, experts suggest that to truly upgrade women’s healthcare, there needs to be a continuous relationship with a warm handoff during transitions to specialists as needed.

Women have more Chronic Conditions than Men

As technology tools continue to advance, the role of the complete and long-term medical record in women’s health remains significant. Approximately 71% of women 55 and older have at least one chronic condition (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, etc.) that likely requires long-term medical care. This is about 5% higher than the chronic conditions for men. Women with two or more chronic conditions also outpace men by almost 10%. As women continue to work with multiple providers over their lifetime, the medical record and access to legacy health records are vital.

Women’s health focused EMRs including Praxis, NextGen, ObGyn-Cloud, NueMD, InSync Healthcare Solutions and others often are utilized to help document and retain women’s healthcare records. Over time, as systems are upgraded or sunset, there needs to be a systematic plan to meet record retention and data storage guidelines set by the specialty, state and HIPAA requirements.

Record, Retain and Secure Access for the Complete Lifecycle for Women’s Health Data

Migrating and storing legacy health data into an active EMR archive, like HealthData Archiver^®, makes all legacy health data accessible to physicians at the point of care (wherever that may be).  It also makes it easier for the HIM team that needs to fulfill a release of information request and for the revenue cycle team that may need to perform legacy A/R Management.

Our team has award-winning experience in extracting, migrating and archiving data and images from over 500 software brands. Harmony Healthcare IT’s cloud-based storage solutions, HealthData Archiver^®  and HealthData AR Manager^® provide options to enable stored data for interoperability leveraging HealthData Integrator^®.

Our team is ranked number one as the top Data Archiving, Data Extraction and Migration company according to Black Book^™ Rankings, a division of Black Book^™ Market Research. We’ve earned this ranking three years in a row. We can help your team retain your women’s health records, and all records, in a discrete and secure active archive. The complete medical record becomes available with just a few clicks and a single sign-on from the active EMR.

Thinking about Femtech and wondering how you’re going to integrate the health data within your care?

Contact us.

Editor’s Note: This blog has been updated from the original post on January 14, 2021.

On May 14^th, Harmony Healthcare IT (HHIT) employees will participate in the 2022 South Bend Kidney Walk, at Central Park in Mishawaka, IN. In support of the National Kidney Foundation,  we will walk alongside the community to raise awareness about kidney disease while raising funds to support lifesaving programs for patients, their families and those at risk.

Our data experts will come together to walk in solidarity for the HHIT team members whose families have personally been impacted by kidney disease.

This cause is near and dear to our hearts because the wife of our CEO, Tom Liddell, was the recipient of a kidney transplant. On June 29, 2013, Mary Liddell received her life-changing transplant from her college roommate, Terese Kosse. The transplant took place at Indiana University Health, which coincidentally is a data archiving client of HHIT. Before the operation, Mary’s kidney function was down to 14 percent. Within hours, it was up to more than 50 percent.

“I speak for myself and the other 26 million Americans affected by kidney disease when I say how very much I appreciate the support from our HHIT team as well as other local Mishawaka and South Bend residents. I look forward to gathering and walking on May 14th to support the National Kidney Foundations’ efforts to educate the public and continue to raise funds for research.” – Mary Liddell

Mary is extremely grateful for the support HHIT is providing for the National Kidney Foundation, as it truly saves lives.

To help support HHIT, Mary, and the National Kidney Foundation:

• Walk with us – visit this link and click the orange Join Our Team button on the right
• Donate to our fundraising team – visit this link and click Donate on the top right

Health Information Professionals (HIP) Week, April 18-22, 2022, recognizes the tremendous contributions HIP teams make to improve the quality of patient care. With a mission of “empowering people to impact health,” the belief is that great possibilities are achieved when we work together toward a common goal. This common goal, with HIP leadership, is to transform health and healthcare by connecting people, systems, and ideas.  With that in mind, here is how Harmony Healthcare IT’s HealthData Platform^™ product and service offerings support three priorities of The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 2022 Advocacy Agenda.

1. Improving the Patient Health Journey through Access to Information, Privacy and Equity

As a data management firm that moves and stores patient, employee and business records for healthcare organizations, Harmony Healthcare IT offers solutions that align with interoperability practices defined in the 21st Century Cures Act and represent best practices for security and privacy. Our goal is to provide legacy data in a consumable format that aligns with CCDA and FHIR standards to harmonize technology with the patient care experience.  Whether you are preparing active or legacy patient records for interoperability, our team of experts may be called upon to assist with the development of a data management strategy and how legacy data will play a role.

2. Ensuring the Quality and Integrity of Health Information

When it comes to archiving medical records, every data element must be retained with 100% accuracy. Our data validation process is vital to ensuring the consistency, accuracy, completeness and quality of every record that is migrated from a legacy system to be archived. Our integrated validation process is a standard feature within our long-term record storage platform, HealthData Archiver^®.  Designed with the health information professional in mind, the feature eliminates manual spreadsheets and emails often associated with the validation reporting process between client and vendors. This is a time saver and reduces potential errors during the archival process.

In addition, HealthData Archiver^® includes strike thru, notes and addenda features. These features show how data was displayed in the source system (pre-archive) and, subsequently, when it was changed or corrected (post-archive). This could be helpful if a result was erroneously recorded in the source system, or if a document that should be part of the original legal record never got scanned pre-archive.

3. Advancing Healthcare Transformation

This priority focuses on improving workflows, interoperability, and security.

• Workflows – Harmony Healthcare IT’s HealthData Archiver^® offers:
  • Release of Information. Individual patient records can print on demand using flexible print filters and/or pre-defined print templates.  Templates can default to common record request types such as patient, attorney, payer or employer to ensure that compliant record sets are generated consistently and efficiently.  Multiple record requests can be generated in batch and/or by date range—a great feature for rapid compliance to bulk records requests (I.e., an audit).
  • Record Purge. Designed to accept a multitude of if-then scenarios based on record retention policy, HealthData Archiver^® is flexible in how it creates, manages and allows for exceptions with purge rules. Criterion for record destruction might include date of last service, date of discharge, date of birth, document or data type (i.e., behavioral health), etc.  Exceptions may include legal hold, RAC audit, clinical research or other similar situations which might prevent a medical record from being destroyed.

• Interoperability – Harmony Healthcare IT’s HealthData Integrator^® addresses:
  • Single Sign-On (SSO). SSO from the go-forward EHR to our active archive, HealthData Archiver^®, provides clinicians with instant accessibility to the historical patient record. From their EHR, clinicians seamlessly connect, in patient-context, to the legacy medical record. This workflow enhancing feature is available for major EMR brands, including Epic, Cerner, MEDITECH, Allscripts, Athena and others. It also supports numerous formats like Oauth/OpenID, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML 2.0).
  • Patient Matching. We ensure that patient information is as accurate as possible. There are many master patient indexing processes taking place within different health systems and with EHR and archiving vendors that Harmony Healthcare IT navigates and utilizes to tie archived records in HealthData Archiver^® to the right patient in the go-forward EHR. 
  • 21^st Century Cures Act. We align our efforts to support our clients’ needs for data integration in the face of growing requirements—partnering with them in the planning, strategy and implementation steps needed to meet the Cures Act requirements for interoperability. Check out our recent blogs on this topic for more information:
    • • The 2022 ONC Annual Meeting Recap
      • Understanding TEFCA and its Role in National Interoperability
      • 21st Century Cures Act and the Push for REST API Adoption

     

• Security – From a security standpoint, legacy EHR systems create risks for healthcare delivery organizations of all sizes. Our team works with providers to prepare for technology-based disasters, natural disasters, and physical disasters. With some integrated delivery networks managing up to hundreds of legacy systems with varying degrees of security and stability still intact, an important step forward is to consolidate legacy patient, employee and business data silos to ensure safe record retention for the next 7, 10 or even 25+ years. Harmony Healthcare IT’s focus on managing data exclusively for the healthcare industry drives our commitment to security, such as our endpoint detection and response tools as well as our achievement of HITRUST CSF^® certification and subsequent re-certifications.

Harmony Healthcare IT’s cloud-based storage solutions, HealthData Archiver^®, HealthData AR Manager^® and HealthData Locker^™ provide options to enable stored data for interoperability leveraging HealthData Integrator^®. These integrated solutions can help HIP teams in healthcare settings worldwide.

Recognizing that Harmony Healthcare IT’s solutions are counted on by HIP professionals worldwide, our team is committed to continuously strengthening its platform and delivering capabilities necessary for HIP professionals to efficiently and securely do their job.

Congratulations to everyone involved in HIP Week – our team couldn’t do data migration and archival without you. #HIPWeek22

After acquiring fellow EHR vendor Healthland Holdings in 2016, Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI) later announced, in 2017, its intent to sunset the Healthland Classic EHR in 2019.  In the years following, provider organizations transitioned to new EHRs, however, not all of them took immediate action to archive the legacy data stored in Healthland Classic. Harmony Healthcare IT, a data management firm specializing in legacy record storage, has migrated and archived data from Healthland Classic for providers nationwide to ensure access to patient, employee, and business records for decades to come.

Just like an EHR automates workflows, supports better outcomes and can improve patient and provider satisfaction, so too can an active archive like HealthData Archiver^® offered by Harmony Healthcare IT.  HealthData Archiver^® securely delivers these same results.

The case study below describes how one regional health center replaced Healthland Classic with Epic, and archived the legacy records with HealthData Archiver^®.

As you strategize around your data management plan and determine how to most efficiently decommission Healthland Classic or another sunsetting EHR, keep in mind that the legacy data management must be addressed. Leaving an old system up and running as read-only can be a security risk that leaves your protected health information (PHI) vulnerable and open to data breach. With healthcare leading the world as the number one most attacked industry, it is critical to safely and securely manage legacy data with an archive. Add in the Cures Act requirements for consumer access to historical records, and an archive is a must-have for any healthcare organization.

Our team is ranked number one as the top Data Archiving, Data Extraction and Migration company according to Black Book^™ Rankings, a division of Black Book^™ Market Research. We’ve earned this ranking three years in a row. It underscores our commitment to keeping patient, employee, and business records accessible, usable, interoperable, secure, and compliant.

We’re ready to connect and talk through your organization’s specific needs, challenges and next steps.

New Research on Insomnia in America

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports every adult should be getting seven hours of sleep a night to stay healthy. However, many Americans aren’t getting close to that, and it’s not from a lack of trying.

Nearly nine out of every ten people we surveyed say they have trouble falling asleep. It’s not something that happens once in a blue moon. More than half of people admitted they struggle to sleep at least once a week if not more.

Most Common Sleep Searches by State

Americans search “insomnia” the most when Googling about sleep or a lack thereof. Searches about sleep and insomnia have increased in January and August every year since August 2018. It appears to coincide with the end of the holidays and the start of the school year, but further research will need to be done to learn more.

Insomnia is the most disproportionately popular search term in nine states including New York, California, and Texas. Stress and anxiety also played a big role in searches. People in Connecticut searched “how to fall asleep when stressed,” and the most searched phrase in New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota was “how to fall asleep when you’re anxious.”

Women in Utah appear to be struggling with pregnancy insomnia. The most popular search in Utah was “sleep aid safe for pregnancy.” Ohio and Virginia wanted to know if there are herbs to help with insomnia. Drinking doesn’t appear to be helping anyone in Alaska, where the state’s top search was “alcohol can’t sleep.”

It’s no wonder people in Kentucky and Rhode Island are having trouble falling asleep. Both states are trying to time how long it takes to drift off. Kentucky searched “how to fall asleep in five minutes” and Rhode Island wanted to know “how to fall asleep in one minute.”

People living in Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming don’t seem to be getting any sleep at all. The most searched phrase in all three states was “what happens if you don’t sleep for a day.”

Sleepless Cities

It looks like all those lights, shows, and casinos in Las Vegas are not helping anyone win the jackpot when it comes to sleep. Of the 30 most populous cities, Las Vegas searched about sleep issues the most. It was followed by Baltimore (2nd) and Denver (3rd).

People really are sleepless in Seattle. The Pacific Northwest city ranked the fourth highest followed by Boston (5th).

It may be time for New York City to get rid of its nickname as “the city that never sleeps.” People living in America’s biggest cities appear to be used to all the noise. New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago all searched the least about insomnia.

The Pandemic & Insomnia

More than one in five people (21%) said the pandemic has directly impacted their sleep. We’ve now been in the pandemic for more than two years, and survey respondents admit it’s still causing them to lose sleep. One in five said they are sleeping worse than they were in March 2020. Another 19% said their sleep is just as bad as it was in 2020.

Survey respondents admitted the noise in their head is keeping them up most at night. Two out of five said mindless thoughts are to blame for their sleep struggles. But others (16%) frustratingly aren’t sure why they can’t get some shut eye.

Nearly one out of ten people said health issues like physical or mental illness causes them to stay awake. Others we surveyed believe relationships (8%) and finances (8%) keep sleep at bay.

A few people mentioned actual noise as a reason for their sleeplessness. A couple people blamed loud roommates, some mentioned childcare or pet care, and one person surveyed said their wife’s snoring keeps them up at night.

Sleep Habits & Routines

While technology has changed the world in many good ways, we also know that it is a double-edged sword. Studies show blue light from phones and other technology can lead to sleep issues, especially when people look at it right before going to bed. More than three out of four people (76%) we surveyed admitted they look at their phone before going to sleep. Four out of five went further to say their phone is within an arm’s reach when they sleep.

When people can’t sleep, many do turn to technology to try and get drowsy again. Nearly one in five (19%) scroll on their phone. Another 17% try to get themselves mentally tired by counting sheep, but almost one in ten people admitted they normally give up and get up.

Interestingly, 30% of people turn to drugs or natural remedies to get sleepy. Of the people we surveyed, 15% said they take melatonin, 8% smoke marijuana or eat an edible, and 7% take a sleeping pill.

The majority of people surveyed have pulled an all-nighter, and more than half of people did it on purpose! The main reason for pulling an all-nighter was because of school or work. Unfortunately, another 30% just couldn’t sleep. Others (16%) admitted they were spending time with friends at a party or hangout.

Hindsight is 20/20, and more than half of people surveyed admitted they regretted their all-nighter. However, two out of every three said they haven’t ruled out pulling another all-nighter in the future.

Work From Home Napping Habits

Surprisingly, some people who work remotely or have hybrid schedules are getting a lot of extra shut eye during the day. One out of every three people we surveyed owned up to taking naps while working from home. Of those, 74% said they nap once a week if not more.

People aren’t just taking quick power naps. Three out of every four people said their naps are more than 30 minutes. Specifically, 18% divulged their naps are more than an hour long!

People admit that they turn to naps when they are running on empty. Lack of sleep causes all sorts of issues including difficulty focusing & staying awake, lethargy, struggles with productivity, an increased need for caffeine, and increased mental health issues.

When it comes down to it, everyone should be aiming to get at least seven hours of sleep (eight for adolescents!). If you can’t get it today, don’t feel like it’s the end of the world. Tomorrow is a new day to try again and get your health back on track.

Methodology

In March 2022, we surveyed 1,112 participants to get their feedback about sleep habits. 50% were female and 50% male. Respondents ranged in ages between 18 and 80. The average age was 40.

For this report, we also analyzed more than 800 search terms related to “insomnia” and variations of the term in all 50 states and the 30 most populated cities across the country. In order to rank which states and cities search for these terms the most, search volume was calculated per capita, or per 100,000 residents.

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