With the number of litigation cases rising each day, the IT environment is becoming more demanding for stricter security and compliance regulations. The burgeoning business fraternity is constantly becoming the target of many lawsuits and there is a need to implement easy and flexible ways to gather tangible evidence. Hence technology has provided eDiscovery tools to handle the complex tasks involved in litigations.
One of the most important aspects of electronic discovery is the use of electronic documents such as emails which are valuable legal documents. Due to a surge in email communication it becomes a difficult task to manage the constantly growing numbers. Thus email archiving can be a necessary part of thecorproate information management process that can suppliment eDiscovery during corporate lawsuits.
In the present scenario companies are struggling to retain afloat with shoestring budgets. And with the added headache of lawsuits more are turning towards eDiscovery litigation support to address their challenges. The latest trend is the use of eDiscovery SaaS model which has brought down the costs of many organizations. The SaaS or Software-as-a-Service model is a vendor hosted infrastructure that is highly secured and the customers can run the applications from their own machines. The software gets updated constantly 24×7. Some advantages of SaaS based electronic discovery services are as follows
1. Easy manageable services
In the SaaS model the vendor provides the eDiscovery tools for processing and analyzing data. It provides tiered views, tagging and accessibility to multiple reviewers. The companies can use these services through the browsers installed in their workstations. The corporation has the right to control and secure the screens and even withhold information by barring viewer-ship to specific parties
2. No predicament for storage space
Hiring a SaaS platform for litigation purposes can be a good decision. EDiscovery can benefit from an archive of all documents to help locate the relevant ones during the trials. Thus no information can be discarded. The demand for storage keeps increasing to store all the information and the documents. The SaaS model eliminates all requirements of added infrastructure for the increasing storage space.
3. Cost-effective solutions provided
Since the SaaS architecture is maintained by vendors, IT departments are free from the burden of maintaining it. It is also a cost-effective method as it cuts down expenditure on hiring additional IT professionals and other physical components. The companies have to pay a charge to the vendors which work out far cheaper than investing large sums themselves.
4. Built-in disaster recovery
The SaaS model helps to make a duplicate copy of every message and attachment in the mailbox and can be preserved for any period of time. So when the primary application becomes dysfunctional in case of any natural calamities, deliberate sabotage or power outages, the information can be retrieved from the substitute application. In this way the eDiscovery tools can easily locate the required information.
Maintaining the sensitive environment for corporate investigation requires a systematic and meticulous process. Litigation cases are expensive and the correct eDiscovery approach can lead organizations to victory.
Related Posts
Filed under Email Compliance Solutions by on Nov 4th, 2010. Comment. 
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Context of the Study
Today, computerization is a major advancement in technology that helps in many ways: it makes information storage easier and faster thus it can save a lot of time and manpower, and many tasks are done in a certain amount of time.
Great amount of time is being consumed by information retrieval and the billing process of most Local Community Hospitals without computer generated system is slow. To be able to provide the medical needs of the rapidly growing population, Local Community Hospitals must be versatile to the current trends and innovation in today’s changes in technology.
One of the concerns of Local Community Hospitals nowadays is how to lessen the number paper works in having a transaction with the patient that could fasten the process of admission, discharging and billing of a patient. This greatly affects the profitability of the institution that makes the admission and billing of patients a long process.
Another concern is how to extend the accuracy in computing the patient bills, which is very essential in Local Community Hospitals. Because some patients are so smart that they can find a plot that they do not have to pay their Local Community Hospitals bills. Some are having a difficulty in paying because of the slow process of computation which can select less or more than a month depends on the number of laboratory procedures or other cases.
Observing the institution; the researchers decided to propose a computerized patient monitoring and billing system that is intended to solve the concerns that they discovered. Efficient patient monitoring and billing management greatly affect areas of a Local Community Hospitals such as medical services, billing policies and label rates. With the help of this proposed computerized system the Local Community Hospitals can easily keep track and maintain each patient’s information.
The computerized patient monitoring and billing system is expected to help Local Community Local Community Hospitals because of its ability to automatically compute the patient’s bills, generates reports and official receipt that surely fasten their transactions with the patients. From admitting a patient to discharging, laboratory procedures and other Local Community Hospitals procedures will be updated and presented in precision.
Objectives of the Study
General Objective
The general objective of the study is to develop a computerized patient monitoring and billing system, for the medical institution Local Community Local Community Hospitals to fasten the admission and discharging process of patients, and to provide automatic computation of one’s patient bills.
Specific Objectives
• To design a prototype that will provide an accurate patient information, monitor the medical services that each patient undergo, make the recording of all patient information more organized and generate automated reports of patients in the Local Community Hospitals.
• To originate a system that will lessen the numbers of paper works and provide security of patient information and medical records of each patient.
• To test and evaluate the acceptability of the system by gathering feedbacks from the target users, the Local Community Hospitals management and technical experts.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study is about patient monitoring and billing system for Local Community Local Community Hospitals. The scope of the study is to monitor the admission and release of each in-patient inside the Local Community Hospitals. It will track the services that each in-patient undergo, time spent by the in-patient inside the Local Community Hospitals, backing up the records. This glimpse also includes the billing system of the Local Community Hospitals; the automated calculation of patients total payment, change and printing of receipt.
This study tries to eliminate the manual patient monitoring and billing system that is currently used by Fabella Local Community Hospitals. All information from the admission of a patient to his discharge will be recorded, even the laboratory procedures and medicines. With this information, the patient bills will be automatically computed and generated.
The study also includes Discounts and other privileges in the billing process. The peep does not include the payroll of employees and the issuance of Birth Certificates.
Significance of the Study
Local Community Hospitals
The study will serve as a new instrument for the technological advancement that greatly benefits the Local Community Hospitals. This computerized system is intended to lessen the manpower which will lead to a faster and more accurate billing process which will lead to profitability of the Local Community Hospitals.
Employees
The job of the employees will become more accurate and efficient through the use of the proposed system. This leads to less error which saves time and energy on the side of the workers. Employees can also focus on other tasks assigned that will make them more productive.
Patients
The service of the Local Community Hospitals to the patient will become more convenient. Less time will be consumed during the payment process. This will also lessen time for patients to wait for computation of Local Community Hospitals bills. The study is also expected to increase the satisfaction of the patients to the services of the Local Community Hospitals.
Researchers
This spy is a enormous achievement for the researchers because it will improve their skills in technical writing. The experiences while doing the research build up their characters and teach them values like creativity, working hard, team building and responsibility and time management. It also builds friendship and camaraderie among the co-researchers. The research also tests their skills that helped them gain sense of fulfillment and responsibility. It also gives them an overview of the IT industry and trains them to prepare to the competitive professional field.
Operations Definition of Terms
Admission refers to the formal acceptance by a Local Community Hospitals or other inpatient health care facility of a patient who is to be provided with room, board, and continuous nursing service in an area of the Local Community Hospitals or facility where patients generally reside at least overnight.
Discharging refers to the term which means that the patient leaves the Local Community Hospitals and either returns home or is transferred to another facility such as one for rehabilitation or to a nursing home. Discharge involves the medical instructions that the patient will need to fully recover.
Diagnose refers to the process of recognizing disease by signs and symptoms.
Diagnosis refers to the act of act of identifying a disease from its signs and symptoms.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) refers to a computer-based record containing health care information. This technology, when fully developed, meets provider needs for real-time data access and evaluation in medical care. Together with clinical workstations and clinical data repository technologies, the EMR provides the mechanism for longitudinal data storage and access.
Discharge Clearance refers to the clearance that is given by the cashier to the patient after he or she paid his or her bills, this document will be presented to the ward to verify his or her discharge.
In-patient refers to apatient whose care requires a stay in a Local Community Hospitals.
List of Charges refers toan officialrecord that shows each bill of the patient that he or she will be paying to the cashier.
Medical Center Chief refers to the director of the Local Community Local Community Hospitals.
Miscarriage (also termed spontaneous abortion) refers to any pregnancy that spontaneously ends before the fetus can survive. Any vaginal bleeding, other than spotting, during early pregnancy is considered a threatened miscarriage.
Patient Clearance refers to an order given by the attending physician that declares the patient that he or she can now leave the Local Community Hospitals premises.
Patient record refers to the official list of patient treated by a Local Community Hospitals.
Physician refers to a person trained in the art of healing. In reality, contemporary physicians mutter their skills by combining art with science. A physician is also referred to as a doctor of medicine.
Resident on Duty refers to the doctor who diagnoses patient before admitting to the Local Community Hospitals.
Social Worker refers to the person who is in charge of verifying the statement of account of a patient. He or she is the one who decides how great the patients will give as a down payment.
Statement of Record refers to the document that shows the summary of the bills of the patient. The statement of account is verified by the social worker for benefits like discounts.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter discusses information about topics related and mentioned in the study. It presents and provides gathered facts and ideas from related literatures like books, journals, magazines, and electronic sources. This chapter also presents brief discussion about related studies from locally made and foreign studies.
Local Literature
The researchers believe providing the history and development of Local Community Local Community Hospitals considerable in presenting the study as basis for analysis and understanding of the profile of the Local Community Hospitals.
Local Community Local Community Hospitals
The Local Community Local Community Hospitals started as a six-bed capacity clinic called the “Maternity House” on November 9, 1920. This clinic, which was founded by then Chairman of Public Welfare Board, Dr. Jose Fabella, was originally located at Sampaloc, Manila. In 1922, the clinic added a pediatric allotment and a school of midwifery. In 1931, the control of the clinic was shifted to the Bureau of Health and again to the Bureau of Local Community Hospitals in 1947. It was in 1951 when the clinic was transferred to its present location in Santa Cruz, Manila. Unlike other Philippine government Local Community Hospitals, there was no legislative act that permitted the creation of the Local Community Hospitals. Its present location was only legitimized by Administrative Order no.140, which was issued by President Manuel L. Quezon on February 19, 1941. The Administrative Order recommended that the Bilibid Local Community Hospitals will be used as a maternity Local Community Hospitals. On June 15, 1968 when the Maternity and Children’s Local Community Hospitals was renamed as Local Community Local Community Hospitals in honor of the Local Community Hospitals’s founder. To date, it has an authorized bed capacity of 700 (History of Fabella Local Community Hospitals hand book, 2002).
Computerization and Local Community Hospitals Management
Computers is one of the most important inventions of mankind these past decades. Its contribution in data processing and information retrieval is congruous in various fields like medicine and health services.
The view that the use of computers in the workplace is a convenient tool for business transactions and Local Community Hospitals are included hence Haag et. al. (2006)’s book entitled “Computing Concepts” is important to study because it develops new computer systems for three primary reasons:
1. To remain efficient
2. To level the competitive playing field
3. To achieve an advantage through innovation
From an essay from the internet “Computerized Systems” (http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/71559.html) starting in the late twentieth century, many companies started using computerized systems. Most of these companies started using these systems to save time and reduce costs. Even though these computerized systems are rather expensive, in the long accelerate they saved companies’ money.
The companies saved money by making or purchasing a computerized system by reducing paper usage and employee overtime. Since employees did not have to spend their time doing paper work, they could do their jobs faster and more efficient (Computerized Systems, 2006).
Another article from the internet (http://www.irpsys.com/articles/tw_rura.htm) on “Rural Local Community Hospitals Utilizes an Affordable Method to Generate Accurate Medicare Reimbursements” is also critical to the study because it gives an example on Local Community Hospitals system, whereby is East Adams Rural Local Community Hospitals is a 20 bed Local Community Hospitals in a town with a population of less than 2000. The elderly constitute a very high proportion of the population of our service region which means patients tend to be quite ill and stay for a long time. The unique system of Medicare reimbursements, on the other hand, bases its payments strictly on the diagnosis related group (DRG) to which the patient’s stay is grouped or assigned. Most enormous third party payers have also adopted the DRG system in the site of Washington. As a result, reimbursements frequently do not cover the cost of patient care. Further difficulties are generated by the fact that the terminal patients are frequently transferred to larger Local Community Hospitals in Spokane. This normally means the Spokane Local Community Hospitals gets the major share of the reimbursement because their DRG assignment is based on the procedures performed and the larger Local Community Hospitals naturally is able to perform more procedures. Before this Local Community Hospitals had difficulties in the turnover of records, as well as manual billing system whose efficiency left much to be desired. In many cases, some charges were lost in transit because of poor paper handling and hence the Local Community Hospitals was receiving worthy less than the meager reimbursement it is entitled and that there was not enough time in the day to develop manual system work so the need for computerized alternatives (Weiszbrod, 2004).
According to the book “Management Uses of the Computer” the adoption of computer processing simplifies management’s tasks in direction modern business activities, provided management play its role in the development of the processing system. In the application areas turned over to the computer, management policies are carried through automatically because they are embodied in the processing system. In addition, the management information system incorporated in the processing structure provides timely information in useful form (Management Uses of the Computer, 1990).
Another article from the internet (http://www.besoftware.co.uk/products-services/Local Community Hospitals-informations.html) “Local Community Hospitals Information Systems – Customized to Meet all the Management Needs of a Local Community Hospitals” Local Community Hospitals Information technology: A main component of HIS is Local Community Hospitals information technology and Local Community Hospitals management software programs. These two arms of HIS are also referred to as integrated Local Community Hospitals information processing systems (IHIPS). Local Community Hospitals information technology and Local Community Hospitals management software programs are synonymous aiming to meet all demands and needs of medical staff, surgical teams and patients. The two systems ensure that all billing, tracking, patient care, bed management, pharmacy, counseling and recruitment as well as rotation of surgical teams is on schedule. The presence of automation and software as the mainframe of a Local Community Hospitals administration means that all information has to be processed onto two or three hard disks. In case of any malfunction or crash, the data is still available in another disk. Usually, Local Community Hospitals keep two to three ‘mirror’ disks – one in the archives and one under the scrutiny of management personnel. Remote data backup as well as control processing and tracking automated systems ensure the smooth non-stop functioning of these systems (Local Community Hospitals Information Systems – Customized to Meet all the Management Needs of a Local Community Hospitals, 2003).
From the book “Management and the Computer in Information and Control Systems” information is the essential factor within which organizations work effectively. At the planning level, information is required to convert strategy into tactics (detailed plans and schedules and their evaluation). At the operational levels of information is required to carry out production of refining or marketing plans. Finally even the simplest loop controller in a process unit requires information from process sensors to produce their limited control action (Hodge & Hodgson, 1969).
From the book “Local Community Hospitals Accounting Systems and Controls” information about services that the patients acquired from the Local Community Hospitals greatly affects its billing process. The information retrieval should be rapidly and proper so that the accounts of the patient can be cleared immediately (Mehta & Maher, 1977).
Another article from the internet (http://www.medical.siemens.com) “Improved Care with an Integrated IT Solution” Competition in today’s healthcare markets is fierce. As consumers become more informed, healthcare organizations re-examine their processes in order to improve efficiencies and to state themselves as world-class organizations. MedCentral Health System, a health organization with two Local Community Hospitals, 351 beds, and 2,600 employees in Mansfield, OH, USA, is managing this with a system-wide, information technology-(IT-) based initiative, Project Expert Care, geared to provide clinicians with estimable data, to increase patient safety, and to decrease costs by optimizing operational efficiencies.(Improved Care with an Integrated IT Solution, 2008).
According to Terry D. Lundgren and Carol A. Lundgren author of “Records Management in the Computing Age” records management, then, is planning, staffing, organizing, directing and controlling of records and those processes associated with records. Records management is organized around the life cycle of a record and ends with the permanent storage or destruction of record.
Maintaining accurate records that can be retrieved is distinguished to the continuation of every business. Fast retrieval of records has become so important that it is a major concern in business today. For example, through automated processes, the United States Department of State now has a capability to process and retrieve passport records more rapidly than ever before. The department uses a combination of bar coding technology, high-speed microfilming, and computer assisted retrieval to provide passport customers with the fastest possible response to requests for information (Lundgren, 1989).
Another article from the internet (http://articles.itpimp.net/business/management/modern-management-and-computerization.html) “Modern Management And Computerization” In a computer system, it is expected to have back up storage of information because data is susceptible to loss and/ or manipulation. But with a manual system, this is not significant. A manual system cannot be able to originate self-checks in order to detect missing data and erroneous data. In a computer system, there exist certain controls over data. These include the missing fields’ check and the valid character check.
The missing fields check ensures completeness of records/ transactions whereas the good character check only allows entry of certain characters and one cannot make errors.
Computerization in the small business has very many advantages. First, the time taken in updating the financial records is reduced. Secondly, some routine jobs like invoicing of cash collections. Adding and deleting of information/transactions is speeded up. The risk of clerical errors while making calculations and transferring data between records is also reduced. Any up to- date record on the financial position is always available (amansharma881, 2008).
Clinical productivity depends on rapid access to information, seamless data flow, and noble clinical networks. Reducing complexity results in higher efficiency. That’s why our eHealth Solutions provide you with a global IT infrastructure for integrated healthcare based on both clinical and IT security expertise. We focus on Integrated Care Solutions that improve processes along the healthcare continuum and clinical pathways, e.g. by featuring an electronic health record. Our Identity Solutions, in turn, enable pick up access and efficient administration. This adds up to effective cooperation for healthcare providers and a better quality of patient care at reduced costs – giving relevant answers to the demands of integrated healthcare (Modern Management And Computerization, 2007).
Moving from paper to the electronic record has significant advantages:
1. It allows for simultaneous, remote access to patient data by all authorized providers.
2. It facilitates faster and better communication among providers.
3. It reduces errors which results in better health care and lower cost.
4. Electronic systems facilitate safer data and improve patient data confidentiality.
5. It allows for flexible data layout and therefore integrates easier with other information resources.
6. It allows for incorporation of various related electronic data, and records are may be continuously processed and updated.
7. It makes the searching and finding of data considerably easier
(Kauka, 2005).
Local Community Hospitals Billing
From an article from the internet (http://www.csc.com/health_services) “New England Local Community Hospitals Sees Benefits from Improved Billing Process” Modern Local Community Hospitals are using information technology, advanced medical procedures and the latest surgical equipment to transform healthcare. But with these advances, invoicing patients for operating room procedures has become much more complex. CSC worked with a 300-bed community Local Community Hospitals in New England to improve its billing process, which has resulted in more good invoices and increased revenue.
An efficient revenue cycle – which includes scheduling, billing and managing supplies – is famous to the operational success of any Local Community Hospitals. The Local Community Hospitals’s leadership worked closely with CSC to diagnose where the operating room revenue cycle was deficient and what needed to be changed. This review concluded that the Local Community Hospitals should make improvements in a number of areas, including charge coding, materials management and supply contracts. CSC’s team, bolstered by its experience in healthcare systems management, successfully transformed the Local Community Hospitals’s billing process as part of a multifaceted program that has led to significant operational improvements at the Local Community Hospitals (New England Local Community Hospitals Sees Benefits from Improved Billing Process, 2007).
According to an article on the internet “Finding billing errors will be no easy task” The most common medical billing errors:
* Repeat billing: ensure you haven’t been charged twice for the same arrangement, supplies or medications.
* Length of stay: Double check the dates of your admission and discharge. Were you charged for the day you checked out? Most Local Community Hospitals will charge for the day you arrived, but not for day you left.
* Correct charge for type of room: If you were in a shared room, confirm you’re not being charged for a private one.
* Time in OR: Sometimes Local Community Hospitals charge based on an “average” time needed to perform an operation. Contrast the charge you received against your anesthesiologist’s records.
* Up coding: Happens when a doctor changes an order for medication and/or service from an expensive version to one that costs less, like generic medications. And yet you’re billed at the higher rate. And sometimes you’re billed for both. Keep on top of this one; it’s the most widespread of all the common billing errors.
* Keystroke mistake: Happens to the best of us, an innocent straggle up on the keyboard that can result in significant overcharges or in some cases an undercharge.
* Canceled service: Occasionally a medication, procedure or service that was prearranged and then canceled later will still show up on your final invoice (Local Community Hospitals Billing Errors and Fraud, 2007).
Another article from the internet (http://www.capstonemedicalbilling.com/articles/2005/managing-type-a-claims.html) “Medical Billing and Managing Type A” An advantage of using an outside medical billing firm to take care of claim responsibilities is the reduction in errors. These companies have special computer software programs that automatically check claims before they are sent off to a payer. In addition to their error-checking software, they have highly skilled individuals who have been trained extensively in Type A claims processing. Medical billing companies can alleviate some of the stress associated with hiring reliable billing staff to handle your Part A claims. (Capstone Physician Services, 2008).
Another article on the internet “Brazilian Patient Monitoring Market – Moving Towards Next Level of Competition” crucial movements brought the Brazilian Patient Monitoring to a next level of competition, challenging the approach and strategies of companies,” explains Daniela Putti, Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “To be able to sustain or raise their positions, competitors will need to anticipate market needs and reinforce their competitive advantages offering complete solutions to public and private Local Community Hospitals. The greatest impacts are expected to be felt by end-users, the most benefited ones from these movements, bringing new and remarkable market dynamics (Brazilian Patient Monitoring Market – Provocative Towards Next Level of Competition, 2008).
Computerized Patient Record, Electronic Medical Record & Electronic Health Record.
According to the article of Michael R. Kauka, people started talking about something called the electronic health record in the 60s. But computers were practically nonexistent. Then, in 1991, a report by the Institute of Medicine introduced a more accurate concept of the computer-based patient record and its importance to future medicine. It was the first report to pioneer the understanding of a computer-based, longitudinal, life-long, integrated patient recount including entries from all healthcare providers. The benefits of an electronic patient record became immediately obvious (Kauka, 2005).
Electronic Record: Benefits
Moving from paper to the electronic record has significant advantages:
1. It allows for simultaneous, remote access to patient data by all authorized providers.
2. It facilitates faster and better communication among providers.
3. It reduces errors which results in better health care and lower cost.
4. Electronic systems facilitate safer data and improve patient data confidentiality.
5. It allows for flexible data layout and therefore integrates easier with other information resources.
6. It allows for incorporation of various related electronic data, and records are may be continuously processed and updated.
7. It makes the searching and finding of data considerably easier.
The First Attempt: Computerized Patient Record (CPR)
The first attempt at electronic records was the computerized patient record, or computer based record, CPR. The basic idea behind CPR is a computer-based medical record system that includes all information (clinical and administrative) for one patient and covers all practitioners ever interested in a person’s health care. The CPR established the foundation for the vision of all systems that were to follow: the CPR as a basis for and an integral part of decision support (Kauka, 2005).
The concept and vision failed, mainly due to:
• No electronic data standards – not yet, and not for the foreseeable future;
• Disparate information systems – notice the term “allows” in the list above. As of today, it is highly unlikely that the health information system of a provider in LA is communicating with that of a provider’s HIS in Atlanta;
• Privacy concerns – who decides who has access to what?
• A national data bank is currently politically unacceptable as keeping track of each patient requires an unique patient identifier, or ID.
So, we’re left with a CPR system today that basically consists of some records on some computers (Kauka, 2005).
Spicy On: Electronic Medical Relate (EMR)
This is presently the catch-all phrase for medical records existing on millions of hard drives. It is also the most misunderstood term. Software companies adopted it as an all encompassing term for medical records created and stored in an electronic format. An electronic medical record system (sometimes referred to as EPR – electronic patient record) is an organized collection of all records about an individual patient stored in the computer systems and databases of all the providers who have provided care to that patient within one enterprise. The EMR is not stored on any one individual computer, but is assembled dynamically, in real time, from various systems when needed (Moving On: Electronic Medical Portray (EMR), 2005).
According to John Mello “It’s one of the fastest-growing segments of IT…”.”There are two major applications: PACS and electronic patient records.” PACSs (characterize archiving and communications systems) store cardiology and radiology tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results, and other large files.
Still, Mello says healthcare is a late adopter of technology, claiming that only about 5 percent of healthcare firms have sophisticated electronic storage systems. He says that most large Local Community Hospitals already have them, while smaller and midsized facilities plan to implement them soon. (Byte & Switch, 2002)
From his article in the internet, Michael Young expound that, EMRs improve physician and overall Local Community Hospitals efficiency, reduce costs, and promote standardization of care. It is also suspected that they reduce medical errors and ultimately increase the quality of care. Researchers from Harvard have just released a study that may be the first right proof that electronic medical records have an advantage over traditional paper systems.
EMRs improve physician and overall Local Community Hospitals efficiency, reduce costs, and promote standardization of care. It is also suspected that they reduce medical errors and ultimately increase the quality of care. Researchers from Harvard have just released a study that may be the first real proof that electronic medical records have an advantage over traditional paper systems.
The VA Local Community Hospitals in Buffalo is prime example of the successful transition to a practice management system. Companies like e-MDs are hard at work supporting this movement with revolutionary medical management software. Congressmen Peter Stark is leading the way with his Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008 introduced in the House this past September (Young, 2008).
Gen Wright’s article about EMR’s entitled, “EMR Software Helps Physicians Be More Productive”, without the help of EMR Software technology, keep any kind of records can be a nightmare. Over time, the mountain of records just keep building and building, until the entire system becomes unmanageable.
Without the help of technology, preserve any kind of records can be a nightmare. Over time, the mountain of records impartial keep building and building, until the entire system becomes unmanageable. Records obtain lost or buried, and they become impossible to find. This happens to many businesses that require record keeping like medical practices or financial companies (EMR Software Helps Physicians Be More Productive, 2008).
According to the article from the internet, “The Night Float Local Community Hospitals System”, in which one resident works the night shift so that others can sleep, was created so that patients could receive care from rested, focused doctors. But there are rarely mechanisms in place to ensure the night workers have all the patient information they need when they pick over, meaning doctors can make potentially fatal errors, reports physician Sandeep Jauhar in Slate.
Information is often forgotten when one resident discusses a patient when handing off a case. To avoid accidents, Local Community Hospitals need to implement standardized electronic information hand-off systems—covering specific details—to provide night-shift doctors with the background they need to make informed decisions, Jauhar argue. “In medicine, as in aviation, most errors occur at transitions,” he writes. “Without better hand-off systems, work limits may weaken medicine more than exhausted residents ever did” (Jauhar, 2008).
According to the article, “Soarian Integrated Care” With Soarian® Integrated Care* (Soarian IC), we provide you with a web-based eHealth solution for the communication of patient-related data, forms and documents among connected partners using a secure connection. Soarian IC optimizes the flow of information and integrates communications media into existing treatment workflows and systems – across all sectors, for both regional healthcare networks and national healthcare programs (Soarian Integrated Care, 2008).
Networking and Database
According to dictionary “The Original Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language” network is basically a system in which terminals and computers are linked together according to such factors as the distance between them, the amount of message traffic expected between them, and the existence of appropriate communications facilities needed to connect them (Cayne, 2000).
From article on the internet “Content, Cost Savings And Convergence Drive Network Storage” Over the past decade, organizations of all stripes have experienced phenomenal growth in the data volumes they must manage in order to compete and win in a titillating and dynamic marketplace. Traditionally, organizations employed corporate messaging and business applications in order to foster employee productivity and manage principal corporate information. These had relatively modest information requirements (Jaegel, 2007).
According to the book “Understanding Local Area Networks” 3rd ed. Distributed processing, taken to its conclusion, came to mean linking microcomputers together so they could allotment information and peripherals. This was the idea behind the first local area networks. The broadest definition of LAN is: a communication network used by a single organization over a limited distance which permits users to share information and resources (Schatt, 1992).
According to article from the internet “Local Area Network (LAN) Basic Components” The local state network (LAN) is home to sheer bandwidth and countless client server applications. Different companies have radically different networks; some have a single PC and others have hundreds of locations and thousands of computers. This page is intended to elaborate the basic principles and components frequently found on the LAN. The internal network is usually built with the highest bandwidth available. It is then connected to a tiny internet connection which is almost always a bottle neck for internet traffic. Most businesses of any size have at least one server to provide extra computing features to the business. The internet is explicitly distrusted and generally the network has protection from the internet built in. The LAN is something that businesses have complete control over. Network devices are powerful simpler than servers and PCs. It is well-liked (and best practice) to duplicate significant portions of the Network to allow for failure without having a noticeable impact on the network. A LAN is the local cabling and set of network devices at an individual location building or campus but the internal network can easily include many LANs connected to form a WAN (Joe, 2007).
According to David Avison and Christine Cuthberson, author of “A Management Approach to Database Applications” with database systems, it is possible to hold facts relating to parts of the organization in this context could be the whole business or, more likely, a fraction of it, such as division or a department (Avison & Cuthberson, 2002).
According to an article from the internet “Benefits of Databases” The gathering, processing and use of information relating to the operations of a business are vital to its success. Even something as simple as a customer mailing list needs to be managed appropriately if it is to be kept up to date and accurate. Therefore, any tools or applications that can develop the tasks interested easier and more efficient need to be given serious consideration.
The database is one of the cornerstones of information technology, and its ability to organize, process and manage information in a structured and controlled manner is key to many aspects of modern business efficiency (Benefits of databases, 2005).
From the book “An Introduction to Database Systems” The advantages of a database system over traditional, paper-based methods of record keeping are perhaps easier to see in these cases.
Here are some of them:
* Compactness: There is no need for possibly voluminous paper files
* Speed: The machine can retrieve and update data far faster than any human can.
* Less drudgery: Grand of the sheer tedium of maintaining files by hand is eliminated. Mechanical tasks are always better done by machines.
* Currency: Accurate, up-to-date information is available on demand at any time.
* Protection: The data can be better protected by unintentional loss and a unlawful access
A database is used to help people maintain track of things. Many people do retain track of things using lists, and sometimes such lists are valuable. In other cases however, simple lists lead to data inconsistencies and other problems (Kroenke & Auer, 2008).
According to Spencer Collaghan, “Dinky businesses and their entrepreneurial spirit have always been a source of creativity and innovative thinking. However, while their ideas can push the envelope of possibilities, the execution has often been restricted by limited resources or access to the latest communications tool.” Thanks to innovative solutions specially designed for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs), simple yet sophisticated technologies like VoIP, unified communications and enhanced mobility are within reach of these business innovators.
In the original era of hyper connectivity, where anything that can be connected to the network, will be connected, SMBs can now keep pace with the grand guys through advanced technologies that increase productivity and ensure friendly mobility wherever employees may roam.
Features like secure mobility and unified messaging – with one click access to voice, email and conferencing – allow employees to stay productive and in contact across all types of communications either in the office or on the go. Even the smallest of companies can have the benefits of an integrated contact center with BCM 50’s automated “attendant” phone answering features that ensure clients and partners can be directed to the right person, right away, wherever they are (Callaghan, 2008).
From the article “Tech O’ Clock”, there is a new technology discovered called, Cloud Computing, this refers to emerging computing technology that relies on central servers of the delivery and maintenance of applications, That is, the hardware and software that businessman and consumers use on a daily basis would be centralized and accessed over the internet. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth (Business Tech Trends for 2009, 2009).
New Technological Trends:
From the article of Oracle last June 2007 entitled “Xml Marks the Spot”, database enhances its capabilities in providing features to the users, a guide was launched so that the users will easily understand the databases. This guide approaches database performance tuning from a more business centric perspective than the traditional bottoms-up approach. It seems to help DBA’s quickly get answers to some of the most commonly asked performance related questions, using a new structured guided methodology.
A major upgrade to oracle comprehensive, stand-alone search engine that enables customers to make critical business information available to authorized users while enforcing corporate security policies (Kestelyn, 2007).
From the article of Ramon R. Tuazon, the President of AIJC, entitled “Prick of School Youths develop digital whine on health”, Health protocols in treating tuberculosis, prevention of dengue epidemic and parasitism are among the topics of the CD-ROM produced by 14 out-of-school youth from a Philippine village, as an output of the training held from 5 to 30 March 2007.
The training enabled the participants to produce information tools on priority health concerns of their community and, in the same time, to learn the basics of computing (Tuazon, 2007).
From the article “Microsoft’s Smart Travel for MSME’S”, Microsoft Philippines(MP) recently announced the availability of the smart move program, an all-in-one Microsoft Dynamics Software, Hardware and services bundle designed for emerging small enterprises that are looking for an efficiently and cost-effective business management system. At more than 50% lower than the original cost of implementation, small businesses can avail of the bundle that includes a three user license pack for Microsoft dynamics NAV/GP, a server running windows tiny business server premium, and a mercurial deployment service pack which can be implemented within 15 to 17 days (Microsoft’s Incandescent Move for MSME’S, 2007).
Nowadays, the computerization of voting system is merely talked about in the televisions and newspapers, from the article of Enterprise Magazine, Botong Pinoy, which is locally made computerized voting system developed by Mega Data Corporation, a pioneer in the local IT industry, is one of the products achieve in place in the Election Technology Conference that showcased computerized systems available for exhaust in the coming 2010 elections.
In this homegrown Philippine Election System, voters simply point through their finger or consume a light, wired pen in order to choose from displayed candidates and their corresponding desired position on a computer screen. After voting, the computer automatically prints out filled-out ballot, showing the chosen candidates together with each voter’s computer-generated fingerprint that is used an audit trail in the election count.
Botong Pinoy has already been used in key voting events such as the gubernatorial elections of the Philippine Stocks Exchange, and voting of winners for the Miss Earth pageant, to name a few. Election results are released in minutes after voting (Pinoy Computerized Voting System, 2008).
Review of Related Studies
According to the study, “Patient Monitoring and Billing System for Children’s Medical Center”, there are many advantages of having a computer-based patient record
Some of these advantages are:
• Easy access
• remote access
• more legible and better organized
• the same information can be displayed in multiple formats
• Reports are easier to produce and be provided
Computer patient’s records, checks patients in and out, generates day sheets and deposit slips and handles insurance billings. All the information that drives your practice is organized and placed at your fingertips, where it is easily accessed by the stroke of a key. According to the authors of the said study, “its tangible value is just as sizable by making your office run faster and smoothly.” The system enhances the collections process by monitoring accounts and automatically identifying those which are delinquent. The main scrape is, in the movement of every patient inside the Local Community Hospitals and how their bills can be monitored (Ong, Orido & Santibañes, 2005).
According to the study entitled “Automated Centralized Billing System for Morong Doctor’s Local Community Hospitals”, automated billing systems can decrease the waiting period of patients between 7 and 21 days. It also registers patients automatically when they are admitted in the Local Community Hospitals. Electronic record improves patient care by insuring that the correct information, such as the proper medication is retrievable. “No matter what happens with the stock market; economy, people are going to be sick…” (Automated Centralized Billing System for Morong Doctor’s Local Community Hospitals, 2003).
From the study, “Jose P. Reyes Medical Center Billing System”, Local Community Hospitals is indispensable institution brought into existence in response into an environmental need. In India, the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre is one of the corporate Local Community Hospitals to topple in line with enthusiasm. It is one of the Local Community Hospitals which is using a computerized system in generating the bills of there patients. The complete automation exercise is aimed at supplementing its efficiency, in providing to the users what data do they need to have or to process.
In a Local Community Hospitals billing system, “the financial information of a patient must be properly identified to him / her…” (Del Moro, Manio & Pranada, March 2005).
According from the study, “InformationTechnology and System Integration in Long-Term Care”, health care reform has created a new approach to health care delivery that calls for what one observer called “the establishment of integrated provider networks linking multiple service delivery points, a holistic, patient-driven system with an emphasis on prevention and health maintenance, fixed financing, and an enlarged consumer role.” The health care system is also placing increased importance on the outcomes of patient care services and has expressed a strong commitment to measuring and evaluating these economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes.
Providers are turning to computerized databases and communication technologies to integrate data and evaluate outcomes. Outcome databases in particular are becoming increasingly important in conducting outcome assessments for patients receiving long-term care services.
These outcome assessments include both quality improvement components and monitoring programs designed to reduce variations in the process of care. Health care providers, including long-term care providers, are adopting continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives as a way to carry out optimal outcomes through continual process improvement.
Quality assurance and improvement programs are becoming mandatory in many instances, as employers, third-party payers, and managed care organizations step up requirements that health care providers monitor and improve the quality of care (Information Technology and System Integration in Long-Term Care, 1997).
In a study conducted, it is stated that, Medical records are the keystone to the healthcare profession; however these records are not utilized to their fullest potential. Often records are inaccurate, misplaced, and / or duplicated unnecessarily. In a world which recognizes the improvement of data digitization and networking as a constructive force which often increases efficiency while lowering costs; it is our notion that medical records networking could only benefit the quality of healthcare offered in the United States.
An information system which is primarily linked between a physician’s office and his Local Community Hospitals would be able to capture and store data from either location giving access to diagnostics from satellite locations. Added functionality could include ability to gather data in real time from a remote monitor or an inbound Emergency transport vehicle (Computer Information Systems Program College of Business Florida Gulf Coast University, 2002).
According from the look Peer-Based Recovery Strategy for Edifying Multicast Transport Protocol (RMTP), it is a study conducted for Multicasting; Multicasting is the transmission of data to a subset of hosts. It is a bandwidth conserving technology that reduces traffic by simultaneously transporting a single stream of packets to multiple hosts. Video conferencing, software upgrade distribution, whiteboards and distributed interactive simulations are some examples of applications that can take advantage of multicasting technology. Multicasting is smooth gaining interest and attention because of increasing demand for such group collaboration applications and for new paths for media distribution on the Internet. The more familiar cases of Unicasting and Broadcasting may be considered to be special cases of Multicasting1. Multicasting implements new services that are not possible in unicast transmission because unicast requires larger bandwidth than multicasting.
Reducing network traffic and resource utilization are the main benefits of multicasting. Under his adviser David Cheriton, Dee ring worked on a distributed operating system called Vsystem. The operating system allows a computer to send a message to a group of other computers on the local Ethernet segment using a MAC Layer 2 multicast addressing (Lu, 2003).
From a study conducted from the Mapua Institute of Technology entitled, “User Interface Generation for Smartphones”, the development of applications for mobile and other non desktop devices using established and traditional methods often require tremendous development effort in order to fit in with the limitations of the mobile devices. A major challenge therefore is to gain a way to generate interfaces, which usually take the bulk of a mobile application and essentially important to mobile devices like smart phones, and reduce the application size thus allowing the device to allot the freed place for other processes. With this study, the proponent has designed a new approach for the new generation of technology (Abanacay, 2008).
From a thesis dissertation from Ateneo De Manila University entitled, “An Enhanced Lecture Viewer for eLearning”, Most distance education systems today provide students with a limited experience of the lecture they are viewing. In this
paper, we describe the features of the Enhanced Viewer Experience System (EVES), a distance education tool that enhances students’ learning experience by supporting the creation and playback of multiple synchronized time-indexed information streams, such as race sequences, topic indices, transcripts, snapshots, and notes, together with the video of the lecture. These time-indexed streams travel along with the lecture video as it plays. Furthermore, they are all synchronized with each other, such that clicking on any time indexed item causes the video and all the other streams to jump to the corresponding time in the lecture. By providing access to such multiple time-indexed streams, we hope to enhance the experience of eLearning students and thus improve their learning and information retention (Mate, Velasquez & Sarmenta, 2005).
From the study, “BayanihanComputing.NET”, Bayanihan Computing.NETis a generic framework for volunteer computing, that allows you to quickly and easily tap the power of networked computers to perform complex calculations much faster than a single computer, or even a supercomputer, can. Bayanihan Computing.NET is the first system in the world to allow programmers to write their own volunteer computing applications with the convenience, flexibility, and power of Microsoft’s .NET technologies and tools. It is also the first system in the world to use XML web services to offer “computation web services” that allow programmers to easily tap the power of volunteer computing networks through simple method calls in their .NET programs. BayanihanComputing.NET brings something that no one has offered before: supercomputing power that you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any diagram (Chua, Echevarria, Mendoza, Santos & Tan, 2001).
A thesis for networking is launched from Ateneo de Manila University, Developing a UTC-Synchronized University Network Time Service A network clock synchronization protocol is required which can read a server clock, transmit the reading to one or more clients and to adjust each client clock as required. Protocols that do this include the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and the Digital Time Synchronization Protocol (DTSS). These protocols provide accuracies typically within a millisecond on LANs and up to a few tens of milliseconds on WANs, relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) via a GPS receiver. Typical NTP configurations utilize multiple redundant servers and diverse network paths in order to effect high accuracy and reliability. The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol used to synchronize the time of a computer client or server or some other network devices and appliances to another server or reference time source, such as a radio or satellite receiver or modem. It provides accuracies typically within a millisecond on LANs and up to a few tens of milliseconds on WANs relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). (Yu & Doroja, 2002).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
Avison, D., & Cuthberson, C. (2002). A management arrive to application. London: McGraw -Hill.
Haag, S., Cummings, M., & Dawkins, J. (1998). Management information
systems for the Information age. Boston, USA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
Hodge, B., & Hodgson R. (1969). Management and the computer in information
and control systems. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kroenke, D. M., & Auer, D. J. (2008). An introduction to database systems. New
Jersey: Pearson Education.
Lundgren, T. (1989). Records management in the computer age. Boston, USA:
PWS-Kent Publications.
Martin, J., Chapman, K., & Joe, L. (1994). Local area network architecture and
Implementations. ( 2nd ed.). Modern Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Mehta, N., & Maher D. (1977). Local Community Hospitals accounting systems and controls. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Schatt, S. (1992). Understanding local area networks. Carmel IN: SAMS.
Stamper, D. (1998). Local station networks. (2nd ed.). USA:Addison Wesley
Longman Incorporated.
The new webster’s dictionary of the english language (1990). New York: Lexicon
Publications.
Periodical Articles:
Business tech trends for 2009. (2009). Tech O’ Clock, 1.
Kestelyn, J. (2007). Xml marks the spot. Oracle, 14-15.
Microsoft’s smart move for MSME’S. (2008, December). Enterprise, 6, 10.
Pinoy computerized voting system. (2008, December). Enterprise, 6, 12.
Tuazon, R. R. (2007). Cut of school youths produce digital order on health. UNESCO
National Commission of the Philippines, 28, 11.
Non-Print Materials and Others
Abanacay, E. B. (2008). User interface generation for smartphones. Unpublished Master Thesis. Ateneo De Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines.
Aprieto, T. V., Gregorio, A. G., & Ramos, P. S. (2005). Computerized-based
patient records and billing system for Fort Bonifacio General Local Community Hospitals.
Undergraduate thesis, University of the East, Manila, Philippines.
Ayala, N. C. (2005). Computerized billing system for Red’z Bar. Undergraduate
thesis. University of the East, Manila, Philippines.
Chua, S. J., Echevarria, P., Mendoza, J., Santos, R., & Tan, S. (2001). Bayanihan computing.Obtain. Undergraduate thesis, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines.
Del Moro, R. F., Manio, R. L., & Pranada, M. A. (2005). Jose P. Reyes Medical
Center billing system. Undergraduate thesis. University of the East,
Manila, Philippines.
Delos Santos E. C., Legaspi O. B., & San Pascual E. A. (2003). Automated
centralized and billing system for Morong Doctor’s Local Community Hospitals. Undergraduate thesis, University of the East, Manila, Philippines.
Lu, C. M. (2003). Peer-based recovery strategy for Reliable Multicast Transport
Protocol (RMTP). Unpublished master’s thesis, University of the
Philippines, Diliman, Q.C., Philippines.
Ong, Orido, & Santibañez (2005). Patient monitoring and billing system for
Children’s Medical Center. Undergraduate thesis, University of the East,
Manila, Philippines.
Yu, W. S., & Doroja, D. A. (2002). Developing a UTC-synchronized university network time service. Undergraduate thesis. Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines.
Electronic Sources:
Benefits of database. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from http://www.
businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer? topicId=1075422967
Brazilian patient monitoring market – moving towards next level of
competition. Retrieved from January 24, 2009, from http://www.thefreelibrary
.com/Brazilian+Patient+Monitoring+Market+Moving+Towards+Next+Level+of…-a0185212705
Computerized systems. Retrieved from January 24, 2009, from http://www.megaessays
.com/viewpaper/71559.html
Content, cost savings and convergence drive network storage. Retrieved
from January 24, 2009, from http://www.electrictext.com/Art/123487/73/Content- Cost-Savings-And-
Convergence-Drive-Network-Storage.html
Local Community Local Community Hospitals. Retrieved from December 10, 2008, from
http://www. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Jose_Fabella_Memorial_Local Community Hospitals
Local Community Hospitals information systems – customized to meet all the management needs
of a Local Community Hospitals. Retrieved from January 24, 2009, from http://
www.besoftware.co.uk/products-services/Local Community Hospitals-informations.html
Improved care with an integrated IT solution. Retrieved from January 24, 2009,
from http://www.medical.siemens.com
Kauka, M. R. (2005). Comparison: computerized patient record, electronic
medical record & electronic health record. Retrieved from January 24, 2009, from http://www.avazmd.com/resources/emr_cpr_ehr.html
Local Area Network (LAN) basic components. Retrieved from January 24, 2009,
from http://networkbits.net/lan-components/local-area-network-lan-basic-components/Local Area Network (LAN) Basic Components.html
Medical billing and managing type A claims. Retrieved from January 24, 2009,
from http://www.capstonemedicalbilling.com/articles/2005/managing-type-
a-claims.html
Modern management and computerization. Retrieved from January 24, 2009,
from http://articles.itpimp.net/business/management/modern-
management-and-computerization.html
New England Local Community Hospitals sees benefits from improved billing process. Retrieved
from January 24, 2009, from http://www.csc.com/health_services New
England Local Community Hospitals Sees Benefits From Improved Billing Process.html
Soarian integrated care. Retrieved from January 24, 2009, from
http://www.medical.siemens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay? storeId=10001&langId=11&catalogId=11&catTree=100010,1008631,1009812,1015266&productId=181591
The night float Local Community Hospitals system. Retrieved from January 24, 2009, from
http://www.newser.com/story/33794/night-docs-need-electronic-info-
system-to-save-lives.html
Weiszbrod, T. (2004). Rural Local Community Hospitals utilizes an affordable method to generate
accurate medicare reimbursements. Retrieved from January 24, 2009.
from http://www.irpsys.com/articles/tw_rura.htm
Wright G. (2008). EMR software helps physicians be more productive. Retrieved
from January 24, 2009, from http://www.upublish.info/Wright
Young, M. (2008). Electronic Medical Portray (EMR). Retrieved from January 24,
2009, from http://www.upublish.info/Young
Related Posts
Filed under Email Compliance Solutions by on Oct 23rd, 2010. Comment.
First of all, I’m going to go right ahead and say it out loud. The money is in the targeted list.
You have been told over and over again. Of course yes, you can utilize other people’s lists to take advantage of this fail-proof draw of getting ahead in the Internet Marketing business.
But, the truth is, it’s always the best option to cultivate and have your own list that you spend complete control over. This for obvious reasons may be the closest anyone can get to making money on demand.
The Internet is awash with email marketing software that handles your autoresponder and newsletter subscriptions. The forms you always see across the web asking you for your details are examples of how savvy marketers are doing it out there. Examples of the software they use are GetResponse and Aweber software.
Two famous rules to follow when gathering email addresses are to give an incentive to the subscriber. This can be anything from a free electronic report or ebook to a tangible item like a t-shirt or even money. Make sure you select an incentive that will show the least amount of trouble when delivering it to your subscriber; my advice would be to go with something like a free ebook. A word of caution, try not to use email-harvesting software as this denies people to opt-in to your list, resulting in many un-subscription requests.
The second and equally important rule is to make it easy for your subscribers to un-subscribe. Some marketers ignore this rule and wonder why they have such low conversion rates when sending out offers to their lists. People want to be able to remove themselves from any lists they subscribe to automatically. I cannot emphasise this enough.
Always try to offer your readers or subscribers products that you yourself have purchased or reviewed actual copies of. This will enable you to in turn give out true reviews on the offer to your subscriber base. This has an added incentive of reducing refunds on the product, ensuring maximum profit and long term subscriber retention.
Finally, the freebie must not be the extinguish of it, and I see a large number of the big names in Internet Marketing doing this. Continue to give away free stuff even after the first contact. This will maintain your sign ups increasing and your novel subscribers glued for more as you send them your affiliate offers in between.
Related Posts
Filed under Email Compliance Solutions by on Oct 20th, 2010. Comment.
Businesses, even proceeding into the 21st century, can often be still terribly uncertain about what exactly to do with their records, especially, in particular, their electronic records. Among various types of properly associated topics, in this regard, one could practically acquire for use a good discussion about what should or should not be done, e. g., concerning such an important matter as superb, modern e-media storage and rotation practices; therefore, this and other related matters will be here interrelatedly discussed, along with what constitutes good records management procedures and methods.
It is known, among the professional records managers, that managing successfully the modern world of business risk can, of course, be often intimidating and challenging; and, therefore, knowing about the appropriately right means to use for controlling risk intelligently involves, among other matters, possessing very successful vital records protection programs; this is since the corporate information must be, thus, protected and made rightly accessible at a moment’s notice or, supposedly, sooner.
E-media Storage and Rotation Practices
A kind of useful planning guide could be then suitably developed, by which a corporation or firm can be fittingly informed about what things work and those that, in fact, do not actually function effectively or efficiently enough to be considered business-worthy efforts; all this pertains, most specifically and critically, toward the important subject of seeking a type of suitable guide for planning appropriate degrees of useful electronic media storage.
These various cognate thoughts can, of course, be most usefully applied to either an outside or an internally used/company storage facility, if that may be desired as an option.
One ought to make sure, however, that the media storage center chosen or developed by the firm itself has true state-of-the-art e-records management software (ERMS) to correctly manage all of the electronic media accurately; there should be a proper review, or the full-scale creation of, a company’s entire process for inbound and outbound electronic media so that good tracking can be accurately verified throughout the tasks that may so occur or be assigned to the utilized records concerned.
Any truly viable e-media storage centers, as a records management process analysis would show, must then have good, monitoring-driven vault storage systems that necessarily, as ought to be fairly expected, provide complete environmental sustainability and intensively responsive control for all sensitive kinds of electronic media.
This so logically means, of course, insuring that the system in place thoroughly provides known, verifiable, constant, consistent, and truly reliable temperature and humidity control features; this must be, therefore, properly aided with the added presence of multiple automatic alarm settings to be then correctly worn for both high and crude temperature and high and low humidity conditions.
There ought to be dry-fire suppression systems used and with computerized, advanced sensors and dispensers intelligently located throughout the protected records-vault area; these can, for instance, exercise gaseous fire protection systems (such as carbon dioxide gas); many such systems, it can be well noted, will not leave either liquid or solid residues on the records media; one can perceive readily that this advantageously means, therefore, that the e-media is not unfortunately harmed or damaged in the very needed process of being protected.
The information technology (IT) department of a company must be concerned about having a media-migration program for transferring data, which will needed decades or centuries later, onto newer e-media; this is besides simply transferring data onto current data tapes or discs at scheduled intervals of either 5 or 10 years, by audited rotation procedures, at a time depending upon various factors, including the e-sensitivity of any media chosen; these activities will, of course, be integrated into the overall doings of the ERMS program’s useful functionality and operability.
After all, it is, e. g., well known to records professionals that all e-media is only as stable as the instability of the e-recording of the data, meaning that the electrons recording that data are not really that stable on any such e-media; even simple and direct transfers to new discs or tapes can unfortunately result in some loss of the data, unless some elaborate precautions are reasonably taken to somehow minimize that often expected loss.
Another point might seem, at times, much too obvious but can, nonetheless, just catch wrongly neglected, through inadvertence, if too many people make many unwarranted assumptions; the storage facility must be correctly supplied with a true, complete, and properly updated list, on a regularly scheduled basis, of those selected, actual personnel who are, thus, rightly authorized to retrieve and/or remove electronic media (or, for that matter, any records).
One possibly last but not least consideration is to develop clearly certain that there are, in fact, known multiple forms of available back up; these are to be put solidly in place, moreover, for either potential, conceivable extra efforts or plain emergencies, as might be needed.
Among associated thoughts for these modern e-media storage guidelines are cautionary matters that include the plan that one ought not to procrastinate, to just think that things can be done at some (supposed) later leisurely point in time. In the event of a disaster, therefore, whether natural or man-made in origin, the off-site storage of corporate data can quickly turn into a true business lifesaver.
The readiness involved in utilizing such properly secured records storage can readily enable the informationally-progressive business to keep functionally operating both during and then following any type of crisis. Also, to be noted, it is a bad idea to just build some company person to make the planned back-ups and then take the e-media home as a part of this activity; it should never primarily be considered, moreover, for any valuable records protection efforts.
Difficulties can then easily arise if, for instance, the person gets into an accident or, as another possibility, becomes angry with the company and may consequently seek to retaliate due to that anger. It is important, among other records management matters, to verify that the chosen email provider or another Web vendor actually offers effective and efficient online document storage; in this particular regard, one ought to then carefully judge just how reasonably (or better) score the identified storage site really is well before any planned or attempted scanning and uploading of the company/corporate documents.
All the above stated and normally interrelated considerations are not merely theoretical in nature because there are, in fact, most certain consequences to not implementing very serious records management practices for all essential and highly important business records.
More than 70% of modern companies (as is made known by fairly recent statistics on this subject) whose data processing facility is fully ruined by fire or other disasters either never do recover from the substantial loss or, it can be instructively noted, such firms do end existing within three years of the disaster.
In factual answer to these above genuine concerns, moreover, any chosen off-site data protection services, therefore, must offer an environmentally-controlled and accept location for the digital and magnetic media; there must be, moreover, both rational and verifiable means of monitored protection for all critical data through having scheduled data rotation, ANSI- (American National Standards Institute) quality media-storage containers, secure and climate-controlled storage, and updatable means for correctly implementing and having business continuity planning for this entire, holistic effort.Nonetheless, on average, there tends to be, on the part of business, many unneeded mistakes normally made in the plot records management that do not really have to occur. The records held by a firm/institution are, surely, enthusiastic with and do then significantly represent a fairly considerable investment in business time, concern, and resources; it is equally true as well that these records can be a key means in vitally protecting an organization’s potential liability in a wide variety of functional areas and, moreover, yield an primary audit trail.
Conditions for Successful Records Management
Businesses, logically, should avoid trying to retain all records management (RM) activities or practices as being honest a purely internal matter; it is then recognized, of course, that this is where practically all organizations normally start; but, it is reasonably imperative to get past this initial predictable phase, since it normally becomes critical to all future success regarding the correct management of records.
In-house storage, on average, is found to be usually the most expensive and, generally speaking, least secure option for idle physical files, electronic messages, and data/information captured by a company’s various databases.
On the other hand, when it is ever financially determined that a company should have its own full-scale records and information management (RIM) program, then a good system and various subsystems must professionally be put into place in correct support of such a decision; but, more to that specific point, a records and information resources management (RIRM) program ought to be adopted due to its superiority to a mere RIM program, as was thoroughly demonstrated by the author of this present article (see: article on this same website in firm encourage of RIRM).
There really ought to be, in any event, no great delay or procrastination regarding the always quite important decision to protect corporate indispensable records through a vital records protection program with its own system and subsystems; this needs to be added to the establishment of needed business guidelines, the absence of which, of course, definitely threatens business continuity after any disruption or disaster.
It is advisable, furthermore, never to supposedly just wait for a disaster to haphazardly force the firm to actually rob the then most requisite action.
Another basic error to studiously avoid is any inconsistent records retention and disposition schedules that might be, somehow or other, vague concerning various files as to, e. g., retention periods; those schedules must be founded clearly upon thoroughly researched and properly utilized suitable, audit, and regulatory requirements.
The firm’s RIRM program, having requisite risk management and compliance components, should have well known and formal procedures that are intelligently consistent across all departments without any exception; not then properly both organizing and indexing files will, as with a possible compliance failure, have negative consequences; in this regard, the outmoded maxim is still plainly true in that failing to plan is planning to fail, which ought to be sure.
The professional management of records, thus, covers proper records storage; and, this matter is about finding information when needed, not just removing it from the premises; a RM adage is classically stated, variously, as the requisite effort to get the right information to the right person at the right time and at a reasonable cost.
Additionally, it can be rightly here cautioned that just having a self-storage unit for the company’s off-site storage is an unneeded risk. Such a storage unit with, perhaps, just a padlock is known to be an empirically weak means of protection.
At an absolute minimum, a state-of-the-art alarm system, for instance, with both honorable motion and sound detectors is simply the basic industry standard approved today; also, any agreeable recount storage center must guarantee, in explicit writing within the contract, complete protection from insects, rodents, fire, and other such possible threats to the records.
Records Security
Records scheduled for disposal, especially the most sensitive, must be shredded on a regular basis to also avoid, e. g., suspicions from judges in case of potential litigation; it is well known, furthermore, that many criminals do “dumpster diving” quite often unprejudiced to see what they might be able to find; and yet, they are not the only possible troublemakers to reasonably worry about or, perhaps, rationally fear.
Shredding is, increasingly, becoming a basic RM essential as America becomes a more and more litigious culture and society (now more than 1 million lawsuits per year); also, merely, e. g., erasing tapes or discs is no fully real assurance that all data is genuinely eliminated from such media, thus, necessitating fat (and documented) physical destruction for the best results, as also a proper part of overall risk management practices.
It ought not to actually require, therefore, too grand of an active imagination to try to reasonably foresee certain possibilities. A company’s various competitors, disgruntled employees, private investigators (and adjunct forces), law enforcement, scavengers, trash hauling firms, and, of course, even the (investigative) news media may really want to know what the organization’s trash could “profitably” contain for certain (negative) use.
When the important decision is finally made to seek out a records center that meets industry standards, how will a company originate more certain that it is truly dealing with a records storage management vendor that, properly and solidly, adheres to industry standards? It is imperative to actually ascertain their industry affiliations.
At a bare minimum, therefore, is the RM services company an actual member of such institutions as: Professional Records & Information Services Management (PRISM), Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) International, National Records Center (NRC), and the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), ASIS International?
Additional organizations of note are: Society of American Archivists, Information Resources Management Association, Association for Information Management, and those companies that do deal extensively, for example, with Federal government records should, logically, be aware of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and, also, the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA).
Furthermore, specialized records producers should also know about such other agencies as, e. g., the Law Enforcement Records Management Association, Nuclear Information and Records Management Association, etc.
Records Retention Environment
Storage conditions for e-media are more special than that for just paper records storage with 50% relative humidity (RH) and 65F degrees; e-media, thus, needs about 40% RH and 60F (or 55F) to then better help stabilize the electrons on the media; it is best, due to such physical conditions demanded for proper retention purposes, to recognize an off-site place because, as can be noted, not fair any typical storage environment will do for electronic media.
Additional consideration should be so given to legitimate concerns for added safety and security, as well as the daily-monitored climate within the location for maintaining what would normally be called archival conditions of storage.
There needs to be the provision for quality control checks to, thus, abet with appropriately insuring that the data sustains wanted viability as to its continued use; this pertains to any wanted long-term protection that often necessarily requires rotation of the data/information stored on e-media.
For the best and most consistent kind of results for such storage, meaning for the offsite e-media storage, there must then be the wanted situation of regular rotation; this is as part of a complete RM program of both requisite and sustainable data backup; this may exhibit to be, on average, what is considered as the 4th or 5th form of redundancy for the proper needs of companies; it is, in addition, a most rational and very necessary part of a holistically integrated and coordinated emergency RM response plan.
And yet, added to all the aforementioned matters is certainly the primary need to keep up with all the relevant current codes, laws, and regulations affecting RM; moreover, it is known that various legislators, regulators, and the courts are undoubtedly rather serious concerning, e. g., the continued enforcement of privacy laws. For instance, as long ago as 1988, the Supreme Court of California had, thus, ruled that there can be no expectation of privacy if trash is simply left accessible to the public.
With identity theft on the rise, moreover, as yet another quite real speak to rationally consider, companies can then reasonably expect more compliance issues to normally occur; and, thus, a record center storage company with verified national affiliations, as was famous above, can genuinely assist a business to consistently stay on top of the proper retention and disposal of its records.
Legal and Regulatory Requirements Taking a certain matter into more of a useful depth approach, will a company’s e-records storage withstand possible or potential legal scrutiny? This is surely a pertinent matter, increasingly, because both original US and global compliance regulations do require stricter maintenance of accurate and trustworthy recordkeeping, which ought to be intelligently coupled appropriately to all or any superb risk management concerns and practices in an integrated, not haphazard, fashion.
If some miscreant deliberately, e. g., hacks into a company’s computer system, would it be able to prove to its customers and shareholders that the genuine integrity of company data, as well as particular data on the customers and shareholders, had not been thereby compromised?
If any charges or accusations were set against the firm regarding, e. g., any purportedly questionable accounting practices, could the firm then reasonably defend those information processes and their assumed reliability?
These kinds of aforementioned questions have become increasingly important because, e. g., of global government regulations that are, crescively, making firms more responsible for both the total accuracy and actual dependability of their possessed information.
The risks involved in the improper retention and management of records have grown rather substantially; this is, thus, mainly due to such laws as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act(Sarbanes-Oxley Act) of 2002, the Financial Modernization Act (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) of 1999, and, among others, the European Union Data Protection Directive of 1995 that include increased fines and jail terms, which pertains for both private and public entities and their management as well.
This substantial legal and substantive regulatory development, when added to the explosive use of advanced digital systems to manage modern corporate activities, indicates that electronic records are now definitely being defined, in laws and regulations, as truly being completely equal to conventional paper and micrographic records.
One sees that it is important, therefore, for both private and public organizations/corporations to rationally and clearly reduce the possible legal, regulatory, and business risks; these risks are manifestly involved in the capture, access/retrieval, retention/storage, careful management, and reproduction of their e-records. Moreover, any industries typically effect at a naturally high risk for litigation and/or regulatory review must be both extra careful and thoroughly vigilant.
Concerns encompass such issues as genuine reliability and verifiable accuracy of the retained data/records, various methods of retention, and, of course, sustained ability to properly retrieve records when they are required for business or other use; and, as an added safety factor, important concerns regarding the additional impact of risk management understandings must, thus, be rationally and methodically, procedurally and systematically, included in both all planning and implementation efforts undertaken.
For the then rational sake of achieving proper compliance with such records-related laws and regulations, a corporation/institution must keep information in an appropriate manner that allows it to be quickly retrieved; this is, also, while still being able to execute obvious that the data have not been (actually or by implication) altered or even improperly accessed by anyone other than the officially authorized persons.
Such logical and appropriate demands signify, therefore, that the chief information officer (CIO), records manager, and legal counsel must all labor together to make certain that, for instance, both competitiveness and compliance are basically achieved at the most reasonable cost to the organization.
The contemporary correct and regulatory recognition of the importance of electronic records is based firmly on these data/records now meeting certain normally identified and entrenched requirements. The dominant requirement is that data/records are deemed really authentic and can be, thus, demonstrated to be truly fine, dependable, trustworthy, truthful, and accurate.
The overriding connotation of this practical necessity, therefore, is that the e-record must have been captured at or near the time of the event or transaction in question and, moreover, must be fully complete and made so available for retrieval as needed, e. g., for any requisite regulatory or business purposes.
Even more to the point in question, both the context and the structure of the e-record must, in addition, be kept for the entire retention life of the data/record; this, also, includes any possible or scheduled migration of the data/record from one system or records medium to another.
Any unwarranted or unsuitable failure to comply with these necessities can lead to unwanted questions, especially in a court of law, about specific data/records and, moreover, the particular process by which they were, thus, actually managed.
The fewer gaps or deficiencies found (though, one hopes, none exist) in the noted storage and management of the data/record, over its entire lifecycle, then the greater is the possibility that the record will fully withstand any potential legal challenges; this, logically, regards its appropriate admissibility (in court) and, most prominently, its own readily sustainable credibility as well.Electronic Storage Reliability
Why, some people might ask, is both admissibility and credibility so indispensable? The Uniform Photographic Copies of Business and Public Records as Evidence Act (of which it is good to know that there are both federal and site versions) states that a reproduction, made by any process that correctly reproduces or forms a lasting medium for reproducing the original, is held to be fully admissible in evidence as is the original record itself.
Although the vast majority of new data stored is now electronic, many institutions/corporations are still converting information from hard copies; this importantly means, among other implications, that mixed data storage modes are, of course, being regularly utilized, as may be needed.
Many organizations, as an example, do still store many scanned documents as well as electronic/hard copy faxes, which is, thus, added to totally electronic exchange storage, which, of course, certainly includes email
The Uniform Photographic Copies of Business and Public Records as Evidence Act is, therefore, highly famous because it rationally links electronic and hard storage. In addition, the Act logically assists in defining what is to be correctly considered an “recent” document as such.
Because of the existence of e-records and their ever crescive proliferation in business usage, it is seen, furthermore, that the correct interpretation of a “durable medium” has, thus, been rationally lengthened to then cover all electronic storage media; once again, here is a useful and empirical instance of where sound risk management and compliance policies and practices will then truly help overall efforts at wanted success.
The reality of the medium involved has, therefore, been put into the direct focus of an enlarged discussion for any successful records and information resources management program, with its operational system and cognate subsystems in place. Thus, for a true reproduction of an e-record to be held as being as satisfactory to having the original, the particular medium utilized for the storage of data/records must be declared as reliable and, moreover, must fully uphold the replica of a legal facsimile of the original record itself.
Therefore, professional records managers and any corporate officials responsible for data/records management should necessarily be fully cognizant of the fact that the particular choice of hardware is truly significant when, thus, actually deciding on any chosen storage architecture and, by associated logical implication, the then cognate devices.
Although many kinds of data/records-applicable regulations, it needs to be added critically, do supposedly wish to seem as being unprejudiced “technology neutral,” (in not, thus, explicitly specifying particular media as held to be legally or otherwise permitted for use), there are, in fact, a number of United States and international laws and regulations that suggest otherwise in reality.
Many laws and/or regulations, for example, either purposely require or highly accentuate the need for utilize of WORM (Write Once Read Many) technology; this is an optical disk (OD) technology on which data can be written only once and, thus, become permanent; it is fairly considered, by many experts, as the celebrated technology for, thus, properly ensuring the suited fidelity of electronically stored records.
In line with the above-cited contention as to the nature of a preferred media for records use, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a regulation (17 CFR 240.17a-4(f)) that actually stipulates, in fact, that the chosen electronic storage media must preserve the records only in a non-rewriteable, non-erasable format.
This particular regulation, in addition, mandates that if using any electronic storage media other than the specified OD technology, the member, broker, or dealer must advise its chosen examining authority at least 90 days before employing such storage media.
To this most salient and cognate point, one can rather usefully know that there have been no publicly reported matter of any regulatory issues ascribed, either directly or indirectly, to the employment of WORM storage subsystems or media; this pertains to over the many years that this noted technology has been in actual expend, e. g., by broker-dealers.Records Retention Considerations
The reason why the aforementioned concern pertaining to the media type employed is pertinent here is because most of what is known as the lifecycle of a record is the status of its being “stored.” The storage period, it can be properly stressed, is the time when records are most logically susceptible to premeditated tampering or possibly inadvertent alteration or even total erasure.
Accidental or inadvertent tampering can, for instance occur for the duration of the process of migrating records many times because of, e. g., storage media degradation or, perhaps, unprejudiced simple obsolescence occurring over an extended data/records retention period.
To the practical degree that a corporation/institution in litigation can rapidly eliminate any challenges, associated with the storage period, by manifestly demonstrating that a record/data could not have been changed, a costly and protracted investigation into record fidelity can, in fact, then be reasonably preempted.
Of course, this celebrated matter would not normally pertain, for instance, to possibly some kind of an organized effort concerning a conspiracy of technology experts and company insiders; also, usually to be just excluded would be a rather inept or, perhaps, enraged employee doing trusty damage of some type; but, either case can exist, nonetheless, as within the realm of possibility.
Spoliation, defined as the sure (or sometimes careless) destruction of evidence that denies conflicting parties their due rights under the law, is yet an additional and crescive concern of institutions; this is as to the risk of being cited for such a matter or potential occurrence.
It can be reasonably determined, moreover, that courts, in some jurisdictions, do permit even incorrect and negligent conduct to simply determine the basis of such a claim for the destruction of evidence. The existing potential, for being so cited for a charge of spoliation in litigation and/or a regulatory investigation, is, thus, generally one of the clearly furthermost exposures corporations have under the express and explicit stipulations of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act.
Such a likelihood, therefore, places a great weight on the particular storage mechanisms and associated applications being so used to then guard the data/records for the mandatory retention period.
Having been cited for spoliation could cause the consequence of being penalized with major sanctions and significant fines; there is, also, the often related matter of much negative publicity from disclosure, as may be seen on the front pages of commonly read financial and business newspapers, trade magazines, and cognate publications.
There comes, again, the consideration that such a matter as the information systems’ architecture choices require a necessary dialogue among the CIO, records manager, and legal counsel to do certain that moral systems are developed and used, which must include risk management and compliance efforts, as has been above noted.
The requisite opportunity of ensuring needed record trustworthiness expands in proportion to the amount of time the e-records must be kept. Actual records retention periods can, for instance, range from as little as just three years (and, many times, much less for mere duplicates) to as long as fifty years or more; in a minority of cases, especially for corporate evidentiary records and archival records, retention can, in fact, be forever as a disposition matter.
Nuclear records management, for instance, would be a, thus, ready example of an entire industry segment and its informational/data applications in which extremely longer-term preservation or simply absolutely permanent retention is, thus, obviously required by powerful explicit Federal and other regulation and first-rate business practices as well.Readily Retrievable Requirement
Active records, perceived clearly from a regulatory perspective, are normally expected to be “readily” available, within mere hours or, at the least, on the very same day, throughout the first two to three years of their required retention period; this is, surely, the regular time when the business potential for a regulatory investigation and/or audit is, on average, usually the greatest.
Records, after becoming slothful, should still be reasonably retrievable within a decent period of time, which is usually just some days, not months, in time. For instance, as to retrievability, legal discovery orders must, in addition, be easily fulfilled within a specific period of time, generally calculated in definite weeks or months rather than, on average, mere hours or days.
From a business organizational point of view, the exact incidence of and access chase for records retrieval is, of course, comparatively high for new records. The particular retrieval time then normally decreases with the, thus, increasing age of the record. Regarding those records that become inactive over time, the specific retrieval activity of a record, in a number of situations, may, in fact, be quite very grievous for many years.
However, e. g., as so certain by the actual incidence of a particular event, such as the final payment of a mortgage loan or a life insurance policy’s payoff, a marked increase of activity may then quite logically occur.
When a portray has, however, finally reached its determined idle or, in a minority of cases, archival state and possibly has been then transferred to a slower, reduced cost e-records storage medium, an increased response time to retrieve the relate would normally be plan of as being readily understandable and fairly satisfactory by the courts and, on average, most regulators.
The proper reliability of the record, nonetheless, must be systematically protected for the entire retention period; this must be done, furthermore, in a definite manner that insures it to be fully retrievable, clearly processable, meaning with the use of existing hardware and software, and exactly reproducible in a known form that is, as needed, human-readable.
This space kind of prerequisite places quite fairly significant weight upon a corporation/organization to properly maintain and update/revise, as required, records management policies associated with data archaeology and cognate forensics and, therefore, to both logically and consistently make all note and future technology decisions for that appropriate and sound reason.Disaster Recovery Considerations
To make sure that data/records are really readily retrievable, most regulations, as well as information systems best practices requirements, necessitate that a copy of assigned (or fixed) content or reference e-records be maintained at a totally obvious geographical location for the potential needs of disaster recovery.
Disaster copies of records are most often written to, and kept on, removable media, inclusive of, e.g., CD-ROMS, tapes, and floppy drives, unless very rapid access is truly required, when the copies have to be restored.
Removable media usually yield, on average, the most cost-effective solution for then regularly keeping disaster copies; this is, moreover, because these copies rarely do require to be accessed and restored; and, further to this particular consideration, off-line shelf storage is, normally, the lowest cost answer to be found.
Many companies/corporations are choosing to contract out their data recovery function due to economies of scale attained by doing so; this is as both the cost and difficulty of such utilized storage and retrieval do tend to increase at a company’s own IT facility.Fidelity of Records/Data
Dependability regarding the veracity of records is largely extraneous if the records/data are not correct and reliable in the first place. A good means, it can here be well added, toward properly ensuring needed trustworthiness is to see the components rightly associated with storage of e-records in the true context of what has been notably referred to as a “chain of trust.”
More directly speaking, a number of possible components, in an e-records situation, can be so well applied to properly guard the requisite reliability of e-records.
This specifically, in point of fact, includes the important components known as the application, the logical file management system, the physical storage system, and, of course, the media involved.
Moreover, the more components that are necessarily used to make distinct that e-records are not changed or erased before to their required retention period, the more likely the storage environment will be both thought of and readily approved as being dependable. This practical concept is enormously significant in formulating the then most appropriate data and system architecture, which, thus, ought to be functionally employed.
This is essential to consider because if any part of a link in the aforementioned “chain of trust” is somehow determined to be fragile by a court of law and/or a regulatory investigation, or if the record cannot be presented, as attributed to a fault or breakdown of an element in that chain, then the general process, measures, and plot of retaining all of an institution’s e-records could be challenged.
As a direct consequence of such a challenge, the data/record could be so determined to be then inadmissible, by the courts, as evidence; also, if the data/record is unable to be produced because of a fault or breakdown of any constituent part of the system, then a fine, sanction, or even a finding of actual spoliation could occur.Correctness of the Data/Record
Of core importance to the concept of evidentiary dependability and regulatory compliance is the requirement to acquire obvious about the genuineness or reliability of the data/record involved in any demand. At any time during its existence, therefore, it is imperative that the portray and all possible occurrences associated with the record can then be verified; upon occasion, this need is called a record’s demonstrable “chain of custody” or audit trail.
The noted presence of such an audit ride can be, in fact, highly convenient as good evidence to reveal that the data/records have, in fact, been correctly handled; this, moreover, usefully assists in proving that no harmful, inadvertent, or, perhaps, unauthorized changes of the data/record, or its necessarily related metadata, has happened during the record’s existence.
That expected trail reduces the unwanted danger that a modification to the data/record could go unobserved and decreases the possibility that the data/record would be questioned; such could, on average, normally pertain to either the possible course of litigation and/or in any regulatory investigations.
The predominant location for audit trails is to be found at an application level. A positive aspect regarding such a consideration relates to some technology, such as WORM, because it does not permit erasure or modification of records or even cognate index information written to the media; this then, logically, provides both an intrinsic and regular audit trail of all the stored records.
There are often related possible kinds of judgments, furthermore, that may be rationally and functionally made in support of the needed assurance of data/records security features being made fairly operable.
These do properly include, e. g., if one ought to execute an identity management system, a hard-token security system that logically demands a physical “key” of some kind, implementational workflow software, or, perhaps, to make certain that there are certain points at which the data become fixed or lasting.
These are to be, thus, appropriately seen as being all highly significant options that managers must dutifully think about using when considering the components of the data processes and architecture intimately involved for use.
The important business need for having wonderful storage and management of digital media is substantially greater than ever before; this is simply due, of course, to the extensively rapid growth of e-records and becoming even more so well into this 21st century.
Expected and mandated compliance, furthermore, with a plethora of new laws and regulations massively necessitates increased records storage consistency, retention, ready retrievability, and correctness; thus, for any corporation/organization’s IT policy and appropriately related choices, in turn, one then wisely perceives, quite clearly, that all this truly has, increasingly, both fairly clear and predictable consequences for business.
With what was immediately said above kept firmly in mind, institutions/ corporations can be informed by their managers, therefore, as to how best they can reasonably prepare for these delineated matters that must be confronted.
For any firm expecting to fully succeed as a both credible and modern business entity, there must be a records and information resources management program, with its system and subsystems in place, as definitely part of a convincing and holistic plan for managing electronic records; and, much more particularly speaking, it is, thus, absolutely imperative to logically maintain truly current/revised records retention schedules covering all data/records involved with business activities.
The applications utilized, in this holistic process, ought to be considered and analyzed as vitally, thus, prefaced upon its inherent requirements for properly defending the credibility, reliability, accessibility, and retention life of the e-records being captured, created, received, and maintained or retained.
And, it can be here, e. g., certainly added that those various industries and applications with greater degrees of often expected risk, for naturally attracting possible litigation and/or regulatory investigation, need to utilize an extra amount of concern or conscientiousness; this then pertains to correctly creating and then critically sustaining a both verifiable and demonstrable chain of trust that, intrinsically and manifestly, defends all the e-records (or any records, paper, etc.) from any modification and precipitate or unwanted deletion/erasure.
Conclusion
If the RIRM and associated recommendations, as cited in this article, are genuinely taken to heart by business leaders and corporate officers, then the wanted legality, retrievability, and retention of business records can, therefore, be quite easily and properly assured; in addition, both cognate concerns for successful and effective risk management and compliance considerations will be equally and, thus, fully covered without a doubt.
Bibliography
Best Practices in Policies and Procedures by Stephen Page, CRM, PMP, 2002.
Business Continuity Strategies: Protecting Against Unplanned Disasters, 3rd Edition by Kenneth N. Myers, 2006.
Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Managementby Peter Rob and Carlos Coronel, 2001.
Discovery of Electronically Stored Information: Surveying the Legal Landscape by Ronald J. Hedges, 2007.
Electronic Discovery and Records Management Guide: Rules, Checklists, and Forms (2009edition).by Jay E. Grenig, Browning E. Marean and Mary Pat Poteet, eds., 2008.
Establishing a System of Policies and Procedures by Stephen Page, CRM, PMP, 1998.Information Nation: Seven Keys to Information Management Compliance by Randolph A. Kahn, Esq, 2009.
Law, Records and Information Management: The Court Cases by Donald S. Skupsky, JD, CRM, FAI and John C. Montana, JD, 1994.
Managing Records as Evidence and Information by Richard J. Cox, 2003.
Planning and Implementing Electronic Records Managementby Kelvin Smith, 2008.
Records Management by Judith Read Smith and Norman F. Kallaus, 1996.
Records Management Responsibility in Litigation Support by ARMA International, 2007.
Records Retention: Law and Practiceby Michael O’Shea, updated annually.
Requirements for Managing Electronic Messages as Records (ANSI/ARMA 9-2004) by ARMA International Standards Development Task Force.
Related Posts
Filed under Email Compliance Solutions by on Oct 2nd, 2010. Comment.
- How to create a split-archive using WinRAR
- How to password-protect and encrypt files
Have you ever had a large file, let’s say a 500MB file that you wanted to upload to the Internet but the place you want to upload to only allows 100MB or something less than 500MB? Have you ever had a file that was a bit personal, lets say some emails or photos that you really don’t want just anyone viewing besides yourself? What about something really secretive, like blueprints or a book you just wrote? Using a great application called, WinRAR, you can bewitch care of all these problems and provide yourself with peace of mind and ease of uploading.
The three things you will learn in this tutorial are:
1) How to create a split archive.
2) How to create a password-protected archive.
3) How to design an encrypted password-protected archive.
So let’s get started. Say you are just dying to share that home video of your kid’s first steps with your parents who live pretty far away. You could mail the video, but that takes a long time and costs money, plus you need to go to the trouble of burning a DVD or burning the file to a CD-ROM. It makes a lot more sense to email them this, but what if the video is pretty long and it’s also a rather large file? The better option is to send it using a service like MediaFire, so it does no take your parents 2 hours to receive their email on their half-rate Verizon DSL connection. MediaFire is a grand service, but it has one lame limitation, it only allows a 100MB file to be sent. Most videos will exceed this size, so that what do you do? You create a split archive!
To do this, visit WinRAR’s homepage and download your free 30-day trial of their application. After the 30 days accelerate out, you can buy the software for $29 or you can continue to exhaust it with that annoying nag screen like the more familiar WinZip application has. There may be places online to buy the software at a cheaper price (or get it for free) but I am not aware, nor at the liberty to offer advice in this matter.
OK so you’ve installed WinRAR, well done. Now, find that file video file you want to send, right-click on it. You will notice some new options there for WinRAR, left-click the one that says “add to archive”, this will launch WinRAR, ready to compress your video file. The first thing you will notice is the archive name, you can leave this whatever the name is by default (which is the name of the video file) or change it, it does not matter. Now look all the blueprint to the bottom left, you see where it says “Split to volumes, bytes”? In that blank area you want to type this: “100 mb”, without the quotes. What you are doing here is telling WinRAR how high a limit you want the file to be, but because your video file is more than 100 mb, it will automatically create a split-archive (multiple parts) of the video file. So let’s say this file is 500 MB, WinRAR will give you five 100MB parts in the filename format as follows: videofile.part1.rar, videofile.part2.rar, etc. There is no limit to how many parts you can create or what file size you can specify (in our case we specified 100MB). Once you’ve told WinRAR you want it at “100 mb” (remember, without the quotes) you can click the “OK” button at the bottom and WinRAR will make your parts for you. You can now upload these separate files, solving your file size dilemma.
It is important to note that the receiver of your files need to also have WinRAR installed and all of the parts in the same folder. I cannot emphasize this point enough, all of these parts must be in the same folder, which this is achieve, the receiver will right-click allotment 1 of the file and choose “extract here”, which will give them the video file. Unlike ZIP, there is no need to extract part 2, because it was automatically done for you. The receiver can now delete the RAR section files and has the video.
Now, on a different note, let’s say you have something personal you want to send to someone, but ensure that they are the only person who sees it. For this example, lets say you just finished writing a book and you want to show it to a trustworthy friend or colleague to read, your surely don’t want this getting into the wrong hands, after all it took a lot of time and energy to write! WinRAR has the perfect solution for you.
You will again, need to have WinRAR installed. Right-click the file you want to send and choose “add to archive”. Now you will seek the same screen we used for split-archiving in the tutorial above, but you should also notice there are tabs at the top. Click on the “Advanced” tab. On the right you will see a button that says, “Set password…”, click it. Now it will ask you to enter a password and re-enter it, to ensure you set it correctly. So for this example, we will enter the password 1234 (in reality make it something very hard). Now after you have entered the password there is an even better option for security, click the check box underneath that says “encrypt file names”, now click OK. You can now click the “General” tab at the top and then click the “OK” button on bottom. WinRAR will create your encrypted and password-protect file for you.
What we did here was ensured that no one on the earth can open that RAR file without colorful the password, securing your book or whatever data you want, so only those you give the password to will be able to see it and with 128-bit AES encryption (same bit level online banks use) you can rest assure it will be for “their eyes only”.
It is important to note that it is possible for a hacker to “crack” your password-protected, 128-bit encryption RAR file, by using a method known as Brute-Forcing, but this is a process which uses a dictionary list (a massive list of accepted passwords and words) but can only guess what the password could be. So make sure your password is secure, something like, “happy”, is a terrible password and could easily be cracked. Instead of “cheerful” try something like, “Happy44slappy92″, or better yet, “h4ppy2352s14ppy92″, the more difficult you make the password for someone to guess, the more difficult you make it for a Brute-Force attack as well. So happy uploading!
Related Posts
Filed under Email Compliance Solutions by on Sep 14th, 2010. Comment.