What Happens to Data Collected in dbtech When the EHR Comes Back Online?
This question gets to the heart of what separates a real downtime solution from a simple backup. The ability to continue registering patients and documenting care during an outage only delivers full value if that data flows cleanly back into the EHR after recovery. If staff have to manually re-enter everything from paper or PDFs, the downtime solution has solved the immediate problem but created a significant reconciliation burden.
With dbtech, the recovery process is electronic, structured, and designed to minimize the manual work required after the EHR is restored.
Here is what happens when the EHR comes back online:
- All patient registrations completed during the downtime period are available for export from dbtech’s system in a structured format that the EHR can receive
- Forms completed using dbtech’s eForms during the outage are stored electronically and can be pushed back into the EHR or attached to the appropriate patient record
- Documents scanned into dbtech during the outage, including patient identification, insurance cards, and signed consent forms, are available for export and attachment to the EHR record
- Barcoded wristbands and labels printed during the downtime period were generated using downtime encounter numbers that link back to the patient’s EHR record when the system is restored
- The bi-directional HL7 interface that fed data into dbtech before the outage supports the structured transfer of downtime-collected data back into the EHR
What Does Reconciliation Actually Look Like?
The reconciliation process after a downtime event involves verifying that all patient encounters, documentation, and data collected during the outage period have been accurately reflected in the EHR. With dbtech, this process is significantly faster and more reliable than paper-based reconciliation because:
- Data is already in a structured electronic format, not handwritten notes that need to be interpreted and typed
- All downtime registrations and form completions are logged with timestamps, making it straightforward to identify what was collected and when
- The export process is standardized, so billing, clinical, and IT staff know exactly what steps to follow rather than improvising a recovery workflow under pressure
For most organizations using dbtech, post-outage reconciliation takes hours rather than days. The reduction in manual re-entry also reduces the transcription errors that are common when staff are working through a backlog of paper records after a long outage.
What About Data Collected on Paper Before dbtech Was Available?
If your organization currently relies on paper forms during downtime events and is considering transitioning to dbtech, the recovery process improvement is one of the most immediate operational benefits you will notice. Paper-based downtime documentation requires staff to re-enter every registration, every form completion, and every clinical note into the EHR after recovery. That work takes time your staff does not have, and it introduces errors that can affect billing accuracy and patient record integrity.
To see exactly how dbtech’s recovery process would work in your environment, request a demo or contact our team to walk through a post-outage reconciliation scenario specific to your EHR and workflows.