MediQuant announces DataArk for managing legacy healthcare data from older applications

DataArk™ from MediQuant is an active archive that houses legacy clinical, financial, revenue cycle management and other health information system (HIS) data. Today, many hospitals and healthcare organizations are converting to new HIS or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems including:

• Siemens Soarian®
• McKesson Horizon® and Paragon®
• Eclipsys
• Epic

DataArk enables real-time access to accounts receivable (A/R) and human resources (H/R) data as well as medical records from decommissioned systems. Many hospitals and healthcare organizations have saved up to 80% in support costs by eliminating their legacy system using DataArk. MediQuant's patent-pending archive can manage legacy healthcare data from many older applications including:

• Siemens INVISION® and MedSeries4® Clinical Suite
• McKesson HealthQuest®
• IDX LastWord®, Carecast™ and Flowcast®
• QuadraMed Affinity®
• Allscripts-Misys

DataArk allows hospitals and healthcare organizations to move to new Siemens, McKesson, Eclipsys, Epic and other HIS or ERP systems in a more timely, cost-efficient manner. Clients can host the DataArk archive on their server or in the MediQuant data center.

"Data is migrated – not converted – from the legacy system or from many different legacy systems into the DataArk archive in one turnkey approach. Users then access DataArk much like their legacy system, updating individual records as needed. Accounts can even be billed directly through the DataArk archive," said Tony Paparella, president, MediQuant.

When hospitals and healthcare organizations implement a new HIS or ERP they typically retain their legacy system to maintain access to vital data and to bill accounts. Old HIS or ERP systems, however, are expensive to maintain.

"Hardware, software and internal resource support costs can range from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars annually. Also, support for the legacy system may be inadequate or become unavailable, increasing the risk of data loss. Conversely, retaining an old HIS or ERP system diverts resources away from the new Siemens, McKesson, Eclipsys, Epic or other system, impeding the growth desired by hospitals and healthcare organizations," said Paparella.

After converting to a new Epic financials system, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center needed to decommission its legacy system, archive the A/R and continue to bill accounts. North Hawaii Community Hospital needed to retire its legacy HIS quickly before support contract renewal came due. West Penn Allegheny Health System needed to consolidate legacy A/R databases from two hospitals into a single archive to ease data migration to its new Siemens system. MedCentral Health System, meanwhile, needed to decommission its legacy HIS in favor of a new Siemens Soarian Financials system yet access archive data exactly as it was stored.

Each of these healthcare organizations has since reduced costs by up to 80% while retaining access to, and management of, old A/R, H/R and medical records among other data sets. Each chose DataArk to decommission its legacy HIS or ERP system.