90 PART III Rollout of an HCM
Once this is done, data can start entering the system. Which data should this be?
Both the existing data of the subsystems that previously made its way into the
DMS and the existing stock of data in the DMS that needs to be migrated. A harmonization
of the formats to the standard formats makes sense for both cases.
Despite all diligence, it is virtually impossible to prevent errors from creeping
into the stock of data. The migration of legacy data from the DMS is a good opportunity
to correct automatically detectable errors.
Keep the time between legacy data migration and integrating the subsystems
as short as possible. Existing documents from the subsystems
are in a state of dependency to data to be migrated from the DMS. If,
for example, an initial version of a document is available in the DMS
and a subsystem submits a modified version, this is equivalent to an
update. Many subsystems do not indicate that a new version is an update,
though. The receiving system does, however, recognize this if it
already contains the old version of the document. This could lead to
the conclusion that the legacy data migration should be completed
first. Unfortunately, this procedure can also lead to problems, just in
a different way.
You will not be able to avoid small inconsistencies, but they can be easily corrected
later on. This whole process is quite complicated. You can familiarize yourself
with the subject matter or commission a firm that specializes in this. Whether you
delegate or not, the migration of legacy data from a DMS is not a trivial matter.
The archive for your HIS
One of the main tasks of an HIS is guiding patients through the hospital. As time
has passed more and more requirements have emerged for the HIS, notably
the
creation of findings or reports. As a result, the HIS now generates a large number
of documents. As the demands on archiving and performance have increased
over time, some HIS manufacturers have decided to no longer retain documents
permanently
themselves, but rather transfer them to an attached archive
and retrieve them from there if necessary. This is where the HCM system comes
into play.
To realize this scenario, you only need the archive component of the HCM system
or a VNA. It would be a good idea for you to have the HCM concept in mind
so that you can implement it later.
Start by linking patient master data and case data from the HIS to the archive.
Make sure that all changes to patients and case data is completely transmitted
to the archive and processed there. And remember: as no multi-format viewer is