Yes, and partial outages are actually more common than full facility-wide outages, which makes this a question worth answering in detail. A full EHR outage where every module and every connected system goes dark simultaneously is one scenario. A partial outage, where the EHR’s registration module is down but clinical documentation is still available, or where the pharmacy system is offline but the main EHR is running, or where one campus of a multi-site health system loses connectivity while others remain operational, is a different and in some ways more complicated scenario.
Partial outages create ambiguity that full outages do not. Staff are not sure whether to activate downtime procedures. Departments that are affected are operating differently from departments that are not. The information available in the EHR is incomplete or inconsistent rather than simply absent. Managing a partial outage well requires understanding how dbtech functions in a mixed-availability environment and having clear protocols that specify what triggers downtime procedure activation and what does not.
How dbtech Functions When Some Systems Are Still Online
dbtech’s downtime workstations receive their patient data through the HL7 interface that runs between dbtech and the EHR. As long as that interface is functioning, the workstations continue to receive updated patient data regardless of which EHR modules are available or unavailable. This means that during a partial outage, the downtime workstations may actually have more complete and consistent patient data than what staff can access through the partially functional EHR.
Specific partial outage scenarios where dbtech provides meaningful value include:
- The EHR registration module is down but clinical modules are still running: Registration staff can use dbtech to continue registering patients and printing wristbands while clinical teams work in the live EHR modules that are still available
- The pharmacy system is offline but the EHR is running: Nurses can reference the medication administration record on dbtech’s downtime workstations as a verification source while working through the pharmacy connectivity issue
- A specific department loses workstation access due to a local network failure: Staff in that department can access patient data and complete eForms through the downtime workstations even while other departments continue using the live EHR
- A multi-site organization loses connectivity at one campus: The affected campus can operate on dbtech’s downtime workstations using the patient data that was synchronized before connectivity was lost, while the other campuses continue normal operations
- The EHR is running but the clinical decision support and alerting modules are unavailable: Staff can use dbtech’s medication and allergy reference data as a supplementary safety check during the period when EHR-based alerts are not functioning
The Decision to Activate Downtime Procedures During a Partial Outage
The most operationally complex aspect of a partial outage is the activation decision. During a full outage, the decision is clear. During a partial outage, it is less obvious, and making the wrong call in either direction has consequences.
Activating downtime procedures unnecessarily during a partial outage adds operational complexity and creates a reconciliation burden without a corresponding clinical benefit. Failing to activate downtime procedures when a significant workflow is affected leaves staff without the tools they need and introduces the risks that downtime procedures are designed to prevent.
A useful framework for the activation decision during a partial outage considers:
- Is the affected system or module one that directly impacts patient identification, medication administration, or clinical documentation? If yes, activating the relevant downtime procedures is appropriate even if other systems remain available
- Is the affected outage expected to last more than 30 minutes? Short connectivity interruptions may resolve before full downtime activation is warranted, but extended partial outages need structured backup procedures
- Are the staff in the affected area able to perform their workflows safely and completely with the systems that remain available? If not, downtime procedures should be activated for that area regardless of what is still running elsewhere
- Is there a risk that the partial outage will expand to a full outage? If the initial failure suggests a broader infrastructure problem, activating downtime procedures proactively is safer than waiting for full failure to occur
Managing a Mixed Environment Where Some Departments Are on Downtime Procedures and Others Are Not
A partial outage that results in some departments activating downtime procedures while others continue operating normally creates a coordination challenge that is unique to this scenario. Patient handoffs between a department using dbtech and a department using the live EHR require special attention to ensure that documentation from the downtime period is communicated and captured in both systems.
Specific steps that help manage a mixed environment include:
- Clearly communicating to all departments which areas are operating on downtime procedures so that staff know what to expect when receiving a patient or information from an affected department
- Using dbtech’s eForms to create a structured transfer summary for any patient who transitions from a downtime-procedure department to a live-EHR department during the outage period
- Ensuring that the reconciliation process after the partial outage addresses documentation from the affected departments specifically, even if the rest of the facility never left normal operations
- Reviewing the incident after the fact to determine whether the partial outage activation decision was appropriate and whether the protocols for mixed-environment management need to be updated
Having clear protocols for partial outage scenarios in your downtime policy, rather than treating every outage as either full or not worth responding to, is one of the markers of a mature downtime preparedness program. To learn how dbtech supports your organization across the full range of downtime scenarios, request a demo or schedule a Downtime Audit Assessment to review your current partial outage procedures.