One of the largest components to consider regarding your PAC System is how to store all your patient digital images and related data. What are the three components of an ideal storage solution? Capacity. Reliability. Security. When choosing which storage option is best for your needs, keep these three components in mind.
Security Considerations
Whichever solution you choose to handle your storage needs, you want to be certain that all the files, images, and information are protected at every step in the process. The security measures provided should meet or exceed all standard healthcare requirements, including the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). You also want to be sure that the transmitted data is encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and that all web connections are encrypted using https: protocols.
Length of Time to Store Images and Patient Files
As you know, you must keep a complete, contemporaneous, and legible medical record of each adult patient over the age of 21 for no less than 7 years from the anniversary date of the last treatment provided. If a patient is under 18 when last treated, you need to keep the record until he/she reaches 21 or for seven years after the last date of treatment (whichever is longer). For medical and legal reasons, you cannot destroy medical records that relate to any civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings if you know the proceeding has not yet been resolved formally; thus, for legal reasons, it’s safest to keep them indefinitely. If you have the right storage solution, you’ll have plenty of storage space to keep all your patient files in a consolidated, secure, and easy-to-access format.
