Patient records and research data needs to be stored for long periods of time to allow comparisons between current and history information which may go back many years. The far majority of data is either originated in digital form or is scanned to a digital format ('old scanned images etc.). In more an more cases, analysis methods are based on digital information. You need an archive strategy too keep your digital history data safe, unchanged and accessable long term. History data and fixed content data (data which should not be changed/edited) are safe if kept on optical WORM type media (Write Once Read Many).

Without an archive strategy you will loose history data, in the medical industry this means you loose what you can learn from. An archive strategy consists of software which archives the right data at the right time. And it includes a hardware selection which gives long term access to your data at the right price.

Patient records consisting of ultrasonics, CT, X-Ray, mammography, medical results/opinions, historical data, video-supported surgery.

For medical records the DICOM standard defines how and on which storage media data should be stored. Currently the DVD media ist the storage media of choice. Major advantage here is, that the DICOM application together with actual data is stored on the media. Which means, data can be viewed in any DVD reader. Which is standard in any workstation. Data needs to be kept for many years, usually 30-50 years. This requirement currently can only be met with optical storage media. The next generation optical storage technology called blue laser will be read compatible with the current DVD media. Such strategy of media compatibility across technology generations is unknown for technologies like tape and hard disks.