MarketsHealthcare & Life Sciences

Healthcare and Life Sciences are among the most data-rich and privacy-sensitive sectors in the world.

Patient biometric profiles, pathology records, primary research, scientific analysis, clinical trials and hospital records all generate petabytes of valuable one-of-a-kind data every year.

But what do we do with it?

Many have worked hard to transform their data management systems and IT infrastructure to capture and position this data for greater usage by migrating to the cloud. However, an enormous trove of legacy data remains offline on backup tapes, and over time this data is becoming increasingly difficult to access and its infrastructure expensive to maintain.

Liberating data from legacy backup tapes and systems enables these unique multi-generational datasets to be used in research for algorithm training that drives better patient outcomes.

Tape Ark can liberate this data to make it accessible in the cloud, ready to connect to current applications or merge with existing datasets. Having all of your data (including your historical content) is something that has never before been possible with legacy data.

Legacy tape data in the healthcare sector contains the historical data accumulated over decades in various formats and systems. The importance of legacy data in the healthcare sector cannot be overstated as it can provide:

Continuity of care:

• Patient history: Legacy data includes comprehensive patient medical histories, which are crucial for diagnosing and treating patients accurately. Understanding past medical conditions, treatments, and responses can guide current clinical decisions.
• Longitudinal data: Tracking the progression of diseases and responses to treatments over time can provide insights that are not apparent from short-term data alone.

Research and development:

• Epidemiological studies: Historical health data is essential for studying disease patterns, outbreaks, and long-term health trends.
• Clinical trials: Legacy data can help identify eligible candidates for clinical trials and can serve as a control group for new studies.

Health policy and planning:

• Resource allocation: Analysis of legacy data can inform decisions about resource allocation, identifying areas with the greatest need for medical services.
• Public health initiatives: Long-term data helps in designing effective public health campaigns and preventive measures by understanding the impact of previous initiatives.

Quality improvement:

• Benchmarking: Comparing current performance against historical data helps in assessing the effectiveness of health interventions and identifying areas for improvement.
• Error reduction: Analyzing past data can reveal patterns of errors or adverse events, leading to improved safety protocols and procedures.

Compliance and legal reasons:

• Regulatory requirements: Many health regulations require the retention of medical records for a specified period, ensuring that legacy data is available for audits and compliance checks.
• Legal evidence: In legal cases involving medical issues, legacy data serves as crucial evidence to support or refute claims.

Technology integration:

• System upgrades: As healthcare systems upgrade to new technologies, integrating legacy data ensures that no valuable information is lost, maintaining the continuity of data.
• Interoperability: Standardizing and integrating legacy data with current systems enhances interoperability between different healthcare providers and systems.

Patient engagement:

• Personal health records: Access to their historical medical data empowers patients to engage more actively in their healthcare decisions.
• Transparency and trust: Providing patients with access to their complete medical history builds trust and encourages transparency in the healthcare system.

Tape Ark can provide access to these data sets that are now becoming difficult to manage due to their age and recording formats. The benefits of preserving and utilizing this data are a critical component of the modern healthcare sector.

Tape Ark is committed to doing data justice. We have a suite of solutions to preserve and migrate your data to maximize its value today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Some frequently asked questions:

Is Tape Ark HIPAA compliant?