HealthData Talks: Inactive Data Storage

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This HealthData Talks episode discusses data storage solutions tailored for healthcare organizations, focusing on how varying storage needs can be effectively scaled. The conversation is between Erik Johnson and John Jonas from Harmony Healthcare IT, emphasizing different archival solutions and their appropriate use cases within healthcare data management.

Introduction to Data Storage in Healthcare

Healthcare organizations handle vast amounts of data ranging from real-time transactions to historical records. The critical challenge addressed is determining the appropriate storage method for different types of data to balance accessibility, cost, and compliance requirements.

Types of Storage Solutions Offered

Active Storage

Active storage is designed for real-time data access, supporting frequently used files that require immediate availability. Harmony Healthcare IT’s product for this category is the HealthData Archiver, which facilitates quick retrieval of patient, employee, and financial data while ensuring HIPAA compliance.

Cold Storage

Cold storage is intended for long-term archives, backups, and compliance records that do not need instant retrieval. HealthData Locker Tier 1 and Tier 2 serve this purpose by storing business-critical but rarely accessed data on cost-effective, less performant storage technology. Accessing this data generally requires support intervention, making this the coldest form of storage offered.

Warm Storage

Warm storage provides a middle ground between active and cold storage. It is designed for data accessed occasionally, typically daily. Harmony Healthcare IT’s HealthData Locker Tier 3 is a new product that offers self-service experience, allowing users to search, upload, and download files without support intervention. This tier uses storage technology that balances performance and cost, suitable for non-clinical but business-critical data.

Advantages of Warm Storage (Tier 3)

Warm storage is particularly attractive because it allows frequent user access without the need for support assistance, making it ideal for department heads or teams requiring reliable and secure daily access to important files. It offers HIPAA-compliant, cost-effective storage with a user-friendly interface for managing data. While it does not have the extensive features of active storage, it fills a crucial gap for business-critical data that is not patient-related.

Search Capabilities

The warm storage solution supports searching based on standard file properties such as file name, type, size, and storage date. These attributes are automatically indexed upon upload, enabling users to quickly locate and download needed file.

Cost Considerations Across Storage Tiers

Different storage tiers come with varying capabilities and costs. Active storage, which requires high performance for immediate data retrieval, is the most expensive. Warm and cold storage options provide cost savings by matching storage technology to data usage patterns. For example, data needed for potential release of information requests or recently modified data (within three years) is recommended to be stored in active storage. This alignment ensures organizations spend appropriately based on data access needs and compliance requirements.

Summary: Why Choose Tier 3 Warm Storage?

HealthData Locker Tier 3 offers a self-service, cloud-based solution for business-critical information that balances cost and accessibility. It integrates with existing workflows, reduces professional service costs, and requires less data mapping and testing compared to active storage. Users can access and add data as frequently as needed, making it a practical and economical choice for many healthcare organizational needs beyond direct clinical data access.

Conclusion

The discussion highlights the importance of selecting the right storage solution based on data usage, access frequency, and cost considerations. Harmony Healthcare IT provides a tiered storage approach—active, warm, and cold—that allows healthcare organizations to manage their data efficiently, ensuring compliance, security, and cost-effectiveness.

Speakers

Host:

Erik Johnson, comes to Harmony Healthcare IT with over 20 years of experience leading marketing and commercial teams focusing on Healthcare Information Technology applications. Erik has worked with large organizations (3M, Wolters Kluwer) and start-ups (VigiLanz, PatientIQ), helping teams evolve their go-to-market strategies to achieve sustained growth.

Guest:

John Jonas, Business Analyst at Harmony Healthcare IT, plans and researches new features and functionalities for the company’s line of products, working with various teams within the organization. He has over 6 years of experience in engineering and healthcare information technology.

Follow us

LinkedIn: @Harmony Healthcare IT, the Makers of HealthData Archiver^®

Twitter: @HarmonyHit