hceki 01-2005 from flash drives
TRANSCRIPT
HCEKI 01-2005
From Flash Drives to QNet Exchange: Data Collectionfor Quality Improvement Special Studies
Jan P. Van Vlack, RN
Tracy L. JonesFebruary 2005
HCEKI 01-2005
BackgroundA surgical quality improvement special study required convenient, secure transmission of surgical process, outcome, and risk adjustment data from participating hospitals to a Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).
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ObjectiveIdentify and test different media for rapid, secure transfer of a high-volume of confidential surgical data
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SettingParticipating hospitals
reporting surgical data
to a Medicare QIO
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DesignParticipating hospitals were evaluated on information system capabilities and feasible storage media.
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Design Criteria
• Security• Storage capacity and limitations• Convenience• System requirements• Reusability• Cost• Portability• Durability
Different media were evaluated based on the following criteria.
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Types of Media Considered
• Floppy disks
• Compact disks
• Flash drives
• Other storage media
• QualityNet (QNet) Exchange
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Floppy Disks
Advantages• Small in size• Reusable• Inexpensive• Portable• Durable
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Floppy Disks
Disadvantages• Not secure
• Storage space inadequate for size of databases
• Can be lost in transit
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Compact Disks (CD)
Advantages• Small in size
• Inexpensive
• Portable
• Storage space adequate for size of databases
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Compact Disks (CD)
Disadvantages• Not secure• Unavailability of CD burners by
hospital employees• May require IS support, resulting in
possible delays• Not easily reusable• Easily scratched• Can be lost in transit
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Flash Drives
Advantages• Cute• Many shapes, sizes, and types• Affordable• Very portable• Encryption and password protected• Inexpensive
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Flash Drives (Advantages continued)
• Reusable• Compatible with most systems• Used with universal serial bus port• One time purchase• Extension USB cords available• Transfer process easily learned• Versatile
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Did I mention
cute?
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Flash Drives Galore
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Flash Drives
Disadvantages• Not compatible with Windows NT and
some older operating systems• USB ports disabled on user workstations
in some hospitals• Can be lost in transit
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• Memory sticks• Compact flash memory• Secure digital memory• Trans flash memory
Other Storage Considered
but Not Feasible
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QualityNet Exchange
Advantages
• Free
• Secure
• No size
limit
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QualityNet Exchange
Disadvantages• Users must be assigned and given
access.• Users must be adequately educated.• Users don’t always feel comfortable
with uploading process.
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How Secure Data Transfer Was Accomplished for Special Study
• Provided 64 MG flash drives for participating hospitals
• Provided blank CDs for hospitals that had USB system limitations
• Provided individual hands-on education to hospital staff
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How Secure Data Transfer was Accomplished
continued
• Provided mailers with “Confidential” wrapper for flash drives and CDs
• Allowed hospitals to use QNet Exchange if they preferred
• Retrieved data and stored at Medicare QIO
• Returned blank flash drives and CDs to hospitals monthly
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Participating hospitals were offered the use of flash drives, CDs, or data transfer via QNet Exchange.
• 13 hospitals used flash drives• 2 hospitals used CDs• 1 hospital used QNet
Exchange
Results
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Lessons Learned
• Resources available to transfer data differ from hospital to hospital.
• Projects involving data transfer need to be adjusted to individual hospital needs.
• The world of information system resources is changing rapidly, and data transfer needs change accordingly.
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Summary
Flash drives, CDs, and QNet Exchange have successfully been used to transfer secure surgical data from the participating hospitals to a Medicare QIO.
This material was prepared by Health Care Excel of Kentucky, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) of the Commonwealth, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. Pub #HCEKI 01/2005
HCEKI 01-2005
For More Information,
Contact:
Jan P. Van Vlack
Tracy L. Jones
(800) 300-8190This material was prepared by Health Care Excel of Kentucky, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) of the Commonwealth, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. Pub #HCEKI 01-2005