By Alan Gahtan - January 1998
The year 2000 is now less than two years away and many organizations, including hospitals and other health care providers, have not taken adequate steps to address date-related problems that are expected to affect computer systems and equipment with embedded date-sensitive logic. A failure to properly address these issues can lead to disruptions in service, equipment failures and potential liability for hospitals and their directors.
The so-called *millennium bug* or Year 2000 problem, arises primarily due to the use of two digits rather than four to represent the year in computer applications. In most cases, the Information Technology department is aware of the problem and has taken steps to locate any problems that may be inherent in the organization*s internal network and systems.
In some cases, vendors are issuing maintenance releases or updates which address Year 2000 deficiencies contained in their software. Year 2000 updates may be made available free of charge or at an additional cost to customers who subscribe to on-going maintenance and support services. The original acquisition agreements and any applicable maintenance agreements must be reviewed to ascertain what responsibility suppliers may have to address these problems.
The more difficult problem will likely be with software that was custom developed for a particular customer. In such cases, the vendor will not likely address the Year 2000 problem unless explicitly requested to by a customer.
Some of the Year 2000 updates may require the hospital to also update any dependent hardware, operating system or other applications. In some cases, existing data or interfaces with other applications may also need to be converted. These activities require time for proper implementation and the time remaining is growing short very quickly.
After commencing their Year 2000 project, many organizations are discovering that the scope of the problem is much larger than originally anticipated and that additional time and resources are required. The scope of the Year 2000 problem extends beyond the Information Technology department and can be expected to impact other areas of an organization. There is a wide assortment of building equipment, such as HVAC systems, elevators and security systems, as well as medical devices used for patient care, which incorporate computer logic that is dependent on dates. Once the year 2000 comes around, some of these devices may shut down or exhibit unpredictable behaviour.
A complicating factor is that many suppliers are becoming more cautious in responding to inquiries regarding the Year 2000 compliance of their products. Some suppliers also originally advised customers that their products were compliant, only to later discover that certain products do in fact have Year 2000 problems. In cases where patient or staff safety may be at issue, proper due diligence may necessitate the conduct of testing rather than simply relying on assurances from suppliers.
The Year 2000 problem is also expected to affect other suppliers, even those who supply organizations with low-tech products and non-computer related services. An organization must therefore not only ensure that its own internal systems will operate as expected, but also that key suppliers have taken steps to address any potential problems which may interfere with their ability to deliver products and services. A Year 2000 problem which affects a supplier*s scheduling system could potentially interfere with deliveries of products to the hospital.
Many organizations are forming an inter-departmental Year 2000 team to address Year 2000 issues. A senior executive should ideally be assigned to lead the Year 2000 team in order to ensure the full cooperation of all affected areas. A person with project management experience should also be assigned to manage the day-to-day issues, coordinate communications and to make sure that timetables are adhered to.
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