Long-term archiving is critical for the healthcare industry and, if done correctly, offers numerous benefits, including cost reduction, improved access to information, enhanced security, and streamlined regulatory compliance. It also supports efficient data management, especially after mergers and acquisitions, and enables advanced analytics and research. 

• Cost Reduction:

  Archiving inactive data to Cloud Cold Storage reduces the cost of maintaining outdated systems and hardware. It also minimises the need for physical storage space, particularly for paper-based records and when compared to hyperscaler offerings, reduces to zero the cost associated with retrieving records. 

• Improved Access to Information:

  A structured archiving system deployed on Cloud Cold Storage enables quicker and more efficient retrieval of historical patient data, as each workflow or data tenant has its own dedicated media, thereby enhancing decision-making and continuity of care. This is crucial for responding to audits, legal requests, and releases of information. 

• Enhanced Enterprise Security:

  Cloud Cold Storage air-gapped archiving protects sensitive patient information from unauthorised access and potential breaches. 

• Regulatory Compliance:

  Healthcare organisations must retain records for extended periods to comply with regulations such as HIPAA in the USA. Cloud Cold Storage archives simplify compliance by storing data on dedicated media available in the cloud, in secure formats, ensuring long-term accessibility and support for automated compliance tracking. 

• Operational Efficiency:

  Streamlined record management tasks, reduced burden on health information management teams, and enabled better management of data for post-merger integration, revenue cycle management, and reporting, all at a lower cost, when data is held on Cloud Cold Storage. 

• Data Integrity and Analytics:

  Cloud Cold Storage ensures data accuracy and reliability throughout its long lifecycle, crucial for legal and research purposes. It also allows for the curation of historical data to support medical AI/ML/NLP models and other advanced healthcare analytical initiatives by providing a low-cost, secure, cloud-based data store for the long haul.