Report: HC Plagued by Data Center Outages

Ponemon: Despite their mission-critical focus, healthcare organizations noted the highest frequency of data center downtime with an average of three outages over the past two years. Comparatively, the financial industry reported the lowest frequency of downtime, with 1.8 outages in the same time period. This means that, although access to healthcare data like electronic medical records is just as important—if not more important— than access to our checkbooks, our healthcare data centers are years behind in terms of ensuring availability.

If a healthcare organization experiences a data center outage, it’s more than just an inconvenience. Medical personnel will be unable to access records—so, for instance, determining what each patient has been prescribed will be put on hold. There’s a potential for records like MRIs and doctors’ orders to be lost, as well as administrative problems like an inability to connect to reimbursement and/or billing. Downtime in the healthcare environment also means patients will be redirected elsewhere, resulting in lost revenue for the organization.

HCI: In comparison with the other industries, why do you think healthcare had the highest frequency and longest duration of outages?

Ponemon: Healthcare technology growth and is outpacing what legacy hospital data centers can deliver in terms of availability. Applications like electronic medical records and digital imaging have changed the face of the industry, but existing data centers have failed to adapt accordingly. The healthcare sector should model itself after another mission-critical industry, like the financial sector, which draws a clear line between access to data and profitability.

HCI: Your report noted a difference in perception between senior-level and rank-and-file respondents regarding data center outages, how can CIOs best persuade other senior management the need to implement data center systems and best practices that increase availability?

Ponemon: The key is to focus on the bottom line, as that’s what will resonate with senior management. Downtime, particularly in the healthcare sector, can add up to potentially thousands of dollars per minute. Think about the lost revenue from redirecting patients to other hospitals when access to data is lost or files are damaged due to power loss. There is also a liability concern if treatment is negatively impacted. Senior management understands the dependency on applications, but CIOs are best served to tie availability to a tangible, monetary figure their peers can comprehend. And if that doesn't work, the CIO can remind the hospital’s president that if the data center goes down, it will absolutely make the evening news, and that’s not a pleasant situation to be in.