Respond to the following question based on this week’s lesson and, if it’s relevant, include your own personal experience. Describe at least two ways data from healthcare informatics systems can be saved for retrieval following a disaster. Describe at least one financial and one nonfinancial cost associated with a disaster that affects healthcare informatics systems. Read other students’ posts and respond to at least two of them

Recovery Following a Disaster

Data from healthcare informatics systems can be saved for retrieval following a disaster through cloud-based data storage, virtualization, and snapshot technology. First, cloud-based data storage offers automatic backups, data redundancy, and the ability to restore information quickly in case a disaster occurs (Kubo et al., 2019). The use of these methods in healthcare informatics data offers accessibility, scalability, and built-in disaster recovery abilities. In addition, the method involves continuous synchronizing of data to the cloud, which ensures real-time updates. Secondly, virtualization and snapshot technology can also be used (Kubo et al., 2019). Virtualization technologies allow the creation of virtual instances of applications, servers, and data. On the other hand, snapshot technology keeps the state of a system at a specific point in time, which enables fast recovery to that state in the event of a disaster (Kubo et al., 2019).

One financial cost associated with a disaster that affects healthcare informatics systems is loss of revenue and increased overhead costs. In case of data loss and downtime, healthcare services can be disrupted, causing a loss of revenue for healthcare providers (Rosenheim et al., 2018). In addition, longer downtime creates a greater financial impact, ultimately making patients seek alternative healthcare providers. Moreover, the expenses associated with system repairs, recovery efforts, and potential legal consequences can increase (Rosenheim et al., 2018). One nonfinancial cost associated with a disaster that affects the healthcare informatics system is the compromise of patient trust and safety. Further, interruptions in access to critical patient information can result in delayed treatments, medical errors, and negative healthcare outcomes. As Rosenheim et al. (2018) note, the loss of patient data classified as sensitive can erode trust in the healthcare system.

References

Kubo, T., Yanasan, A., Herbosa, T., Buddh, N., Fernando, F., & Kayano, R. (2019). Health data collection before, during, and after emergencies and disasters—The result of the Kobe expert meeting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(5), 893. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050893

Rosenheim, N., Grabich, S., & Horney, J. A. (2018). Disaster impacts on cost and utilization of Medicare. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-2900-9