Emergencies and E-Data- A Wake Up Call

EHR’s can be a lifesaver as new convert St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo found out last month when it became part of Joplin’s tornado disaster.  According to an iHealthBeat article, the hospital had just converted to EHR 3 weeks prior to the tornado that wiped out and spread its paper records as far away as 75 miles.


This is definitely an upside to EHR record keeping.  The hospital is up and functional as a small temporary hospital with their EHR records in place and functioning for their patients benefit.  Now for the really big question—What does this mean to you?   Well, it’s a major wake-up call, both for EHR and for your data.  Have you backed up your data lately & do you keep an offsite copy for emergencies?

If not, I suggest you do.  Although Missouri and the regular “tornado belt” somewhat expect these emergencies, many areas don’t--look at Connecticut this weekend, or the tornado that touched down in Salt Lake City a few years back, not to mention the flooding and other emergencies that are occurring nationwide.  The upside is having all of your data neatly at your computer fingertips, the disadvantage is that all of your data and patients information is on your computer and if you don’t backup regularly, keep off site backups and protect or encrypt your data, it might as well have blown away.

In other words: BACK UP YOUR DATA!!!
Just a friendly reminder.