Discussion: Data Retention

Data retention in the new world of HIM has become a matter of knowing more than the regulations covering privacy and lengths of time to retain patient information. In addition, technologies that are helpful in making data long-lived and available should be in a HIM professional's toolkit.

Describe a method for data storage using electronic media (not paper). Analyze for your fellow students the drawbacks and advantages of the method you have chosen. Then, compare and contrast your selected model with a different method that one of your classmates has chosen. Example: Storing patient data on an in-house disk server versus using web-linked "cloud" storage. For background, consult the course textbook or a web resource on electronic storage for health records. Go beyond saying "the EHR"; rather, focus on a physical or virtual storage location or method, please.