Take an Organized, Methodical Approach
Rx2000 Solutions Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the health care industry prepare for potential computer-related problems when the year 2000 arrives. Myriad hospital computer systems could be affected by the changeover from electronic patient records, billing, and accounting systems to medical devices. Time for preparation is running out.
Although the Institute does not serve in a consulting capacity, executive director Joel Ackerman says there are several general things you can begin doing right away to avert disaster:
1. Educate and foster awareness. "Try to sort out what is hype and what is reality. Recognize that every health care organization has a year 2000 problem. Even if you’re not using computers, others are," Ackerman says. Suppliers may have problems with their products; insurers may face problems in paying your claims.
2. Assess the impact on your organization internally. Go over your computer systems with a fine-tooth comb to identify potential problems.
3. Assess external parties with which you interact. In the world of electronic data interchange and electronic claims, if your claim forms and insurers have different formats or one is year 2000 compliant and the other isn’t "you’ve got issues," Ackerman says. The same goes for vendors and suppliers. If you’re prepared, but they’re not, it could spell trouble.
4. Deal with the date problem. One stop-gap measure is called "windowing," which makes an assumption that if a year falls in one particular range, then it must refer to the 20th century. But if it falls in another range, then it refers to the next century. For example, if under the two-digit date system currently in use, a year falls between 70 and 99, the computer can be reprogrammed to assume that the date refers to this century. If the date falls between 00 and 69, then the system will assume it refers to the 21st century.
This technique allows you to stick with two-digit dates and is a cheap quick fix. Another option is to convert dates to an expanded, four-digit system.
5. Retire the system. If a system looks like it will experience problems, consider whether it really is needed, and if not, retire it.
6. Buy a new system. This option is probably not a first choice from a cost standpoint, but it’s hard to judge now what the full cost of a system crash or glitch two years from now would be. A new system actually could be cheaper.
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