Note: A full page of text in Microsoft Word with 1.25” margins is typically 100 kilobytes (102,400 bytes). A gigabyte is 1,073,741,824 bytes. By the graphic here, we expect our storage requirements nationwide to grow to over 24 billion gigabytes by 2003.

In the IT world when we think of whether or not to destroy or retain files, we call that “Information Lifecycle Management” or ILM.

Here is the critical question stated in the last bullet. Can information be thrown away? Only you as the creator of information make that decision.

Here are some recommendations:

• First consult record retention policies here at KP Santa Clara with HIM. Retention policies also apply to data files. Before Information Technology systems were deployed, there were typically records/file retention policies designed to destroy paper files after a specified amount of time. Typically, a file was retained for eight years and then destroyed unless the file and the contents of the file could be connected to a specific system. If the file and the contents could be directly connected to a specific system then you would typically retain that file for the life of the system. Medical systems usually require certain patient information be retained for the life of the patient, for example. Unless your file is directly connected to a patient, you should consider destroying the file after eight years or less.
• Go through your electronic files at least once a month and review them. Ask yourself, “do I really need to keep that file?”
• Develop a perspective of, “if I continue to save these files, IT will have to continue to add more disc space at a cost that is transferred to the patient through increased premiums. I can contribute to reducing the impact on patient care premiums by destroying files that I don’t need anymore.”
• Consider the model shown in the first graphic. If we continue doing what we’re doing, we’ll continue growing our disc infrastructure. IT can continue to add more storage, but at what cost.
  Storage mechanisms take space. Just simply adding disc space is not the only factor. We may have to increase the size of buildings to house the additional storage. The cost of storage is actually decreasing, however the cost of new building construction is increasing. Can we really afford to add more storage?
• Here is an example. At the end of each month, when I clean up the paper content and files on my desk, I will go to my electronic files and see what I can throw away. I ask myself, “do I really need that file.”
• Think of hard disc space as paper files.

We have a great program to recycle our paper, let’s start recycling our hard disc space!