By Tim Kaschinske
@TimKaschinske
This is part 1 of 3 in a blog series intended to provide best practice information on using file-level protection within a hospital environment.
PACS image archive protection is best understood within the context of the entire of suite of capabilities which must work together to ensure availability of all of the types of healthcare data which are present within a hospital. While some vendors specialize only in DICOM image archive and others specialize in enterprise data protection, few offer capabilities which bridge that gap.
The problems which this presents to hospital IT teams is that most of the vendors from whom they purchase software, services, or equipment only understand a limited part of the problem which the IT team must solve. For example, VNA technologies offered by most independent vendors and by PACS vendors, lack the protection capabilities required to keep DICOM images available. Likewise, data protection capabilities which are provided by leading backup vendors lack the integration with hospital applications which is required to ensure workflow and performance needs.
The layers of protection capabilities which are required in any hospital environment are depicted in the illustration. There are four essential layers of capability, which include:
- The content layer, which includes essential integration with hospital applications using defined standards like DICOM for image management, XDS to facilitate content sharing across hospital applications, and CIFS. Some of the details of what is required for better integration and operation of data management within a hospital at this layer of functionality, will be explored in later blog entries in this series.
- The file layer, which provides essential protection capabilities for hospital data and which combines archive, backup and recovery capabilities. All types of data – including DICOM images – require file layer protection to ensure availability.
- The API layer, which provides the abstraction required to move data among multiple tiers of storage for efficient management while also enabling the combined use of multiple brands and types of media.
- The storage layer, which ranges from near-line to off-site remote storage, including cloud storage options. Most of the time, hospitals must plan for both local and remote protection of data to ensure that they meet disaster recovery requirements such as those mandated by Meaningful Use.
It is important to note that BridgeHead provides capabilities at all of the essential software layers required by hospitals. Our software is modular, so that hospital teams can select only those layers that they require for individual hospital applications. Importantly, however, as more layers are added from BridgeHead the entire set of data management capabilities work together as a seamless complete solution for the hospital.
Within this context, interest in VNA repositories which facilitate efficient management of DICOM images captured a lot of attention in 2012. In 2013, however, we are beginning to see a shift in awareness to include the need to improve management of all types of hospital data including DICOM image data.
In parts 2 and 3 of this blog series, we will provide a detailed view of how best to configure file-level protection capabilities within a hospital environment. Configuring these capabilities correctly is critical for ensuring that PACS workflow is not disrupted, and that DICOM images are fully protected and available for clinical use.
