The Legacy Data Dilemma: Challenges and Solutions in 2025 for Healthcare Providers

Today’s hospitals and health systems are continually evolving their technologies to provide better patient care and streamline operations. Sometimes, a healthcare provider organization will double or even triple the number of applications it maintains from mergers and/or acquisitions. An upgrade or switch to a new electronic health record (EHR) can also bloat the technology portfolio. Soon, the question will arise about what to do with all the legacy patient data housed in old applications.

Often the legacy data must still be retained and accessible which presents challenges in terms of storage, cost, security, and compliance. Many legacy applications hold medical records, diagnostic reports, treatment histories, and more. This data is crucial for continuity of care, research, and compliance purposes. 

However, as provider organizations combine and upgrade technology, managing legacy data can become complex and hinder the organization in multiple areas. Clinical staff needs to access historical records for patient care and Health Information Management (HIM) must locate and release these records to patients and payers. The IT team needs to maintain, secure, and pay for each of the data silos which can quickly become a resource burden. It’s also a liability for the organization as healthcare is a leading target for cyber-attacks and legacy technology is reported as the third-biggest security challenge facing healthcare cybersecurity programs.

To help address some of these challenges, here’s a thoughtful approach to managing legacy patient data responsibly and effectively in the new year.

Review and Map

• Enlist (or create) your cross functional Data Governance Team to evaluate and make decisions, including an Executive Sponsor to champion the endeavor.
• Uncover and document the inventory of applications across the organization, along with data details for each (i.e. types of data, age of data, contract details such as renewal dates, costs, and potential or known security vulnerabilities).
• Determine what data in old systems should be converted to the go-forward production system(s). Moving all the data to the go-forward can be time consuming and costly so that is not usually considered best practice.

Consolidate and Secure 

• Migrating the data left in legacy systems into an active archive consolidates and secures it—allowing you to decommission the old applications. This reduces access points for cyber threats.
• Consider secure cloud storage vs on premises. Network servers are the target for more than half of all hacking-related breaches. Poor security protocols and weak infrastructure make it easy for a hacker to gain and then move freely throughout the network. 
• Be sure to evaluate your potential data migration and archiving vendor partner for strong security protocols such as HITRUST certification and 24/7 endpoint and managed detection and response. 

Access and Release

• Legacy records still need to be accessed by clinicians for patient care, HIM staff for release of information, and legal/risk teams for inquiries. Encountering issues with obtaining records can create a compliance risk so access is crucial. 
• An active archive with data stored discretely and an intuitive user interface with efficient workflows support users across the organization.

Integrate and Sync

• Interoperability goals should apply to legacy data as well. Integrations from an archive to other applications can enhance the usability of the data, such as a Single Sign-On from the go-forward EHR, record release workflows to a patient portal, and connections to reporting or auditing tools. 
• An accurate patient identity management system, throughout an organization, enhances operations and patient experience. Complement the Single Sign-On implementation from your EHR to the archive with a Master Patient Index (MPI) backload and synchronization that will more precisely link historical patient records to an MPI.

Conclusion:

Healthcare provider organizations face a complex challenge in managing legacy patient data across multiple applications. However, responsible handling of these historical records will not only ensure compliance, but also enhance operational efficiency and patient care. As healthcare continues to evolve, so too must our approach to managing and leveraging valuable patient data.