There's software-as-a-service, and now there's storage-as-a-service. (we'll let them fight over who gets to use the "SaaS" acronym.) Iron Mountain has released the API for its high-security, cloud-based Archive Services Platform, and one of the first outside developers to integrate with the remote archiving service is Rescentris, a Columbus, Ohio, company that makes biopharmaceutical workflow software.
Users of Rescentris' CERF application will have the option of archiving lab records daily or at the end of a project. Because drug researchers must follow strict FDA guidelines, even users of paper lab notebooks must have their notes validated by a witness each day, and electronic validation fits the bill for digital notes, according to Recentris. "Storing records digitally also makes them more searchable, and more adaptable for future use," Recentris President Jeff Spitzner told SearchStorage.com.
The story doesn't say so, but we can imagine a good number of health IT vendors using the Iron Mountain API to provide secure storage with an audit trail to satisfy HIPAA requirements.
For more about Iron Mountain's API release:
- have a look at this SearchStorage.com story [1]
- read the Iron Mountain press release [2]
Related Articles:
Google's Chrome OS may heat up PHR competition with Microsoft [3]
Study: Top health IT initiatives listed [4]
Group to create health data security protection standard [5]
Links:
[1] http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid5_gci1371292,00.html
[2] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/press-releases/iron-mountain-opens-its-archive-services-platform-developers-and-independent-software
[3] http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/redefining-hospital-community/2009-07-13
[4] http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/study-top-health-it-initiatives-listed/2008-07-13
[5] http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/group-create-health-data-security-protection-standard/2007-12-10