Your Decision Based on Education
January 1, 2010
There are a couple of different ways of employing an EMR in your practice – but which system is best for me and my practice? What are the differences, and what are the benefits to whichever system I select?
“Cloud computing” is a new idea, but what is the definition? Per Wikipedia.com, the term “cloud” is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the cloud drawing used to depicted the Internet in computer network diagrams as an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure it represents. Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online accessible from a web browser , while the software and data are stored on servers. This system is commonly known as ASP or Application Service Provider.
This type of EMR deployment is HIPAA compliant and is Patient Record Privacy Secure – meaning that all patient records are kept securely. Many practicing physicians participate in the act of Online Banking, Bill Paying and Credit Card Acceptance for Service Co-Pays and Services Rendered. But why not feel certain the same privacy security is in place? It is. Just for HIPAA compliance, a patient’s record is more secure in an EMR system than they are in the traditional paper charting method. E-Security is more secure for privacy, and data hacking is more difficult than paper theft.
“Client server” systems are just as secure – with strong benefits to be realized. Data retrieval is just as reliable and just as strong as with ASP. This is a choice if the practice is larger in size and speed can be compromised by an unstable, unreliable internet connection. Every practice is different, based on geography and internet hub accessibility. The age of the building and number of users at any moment can determine the speed of data being sent and data being received at any point during the day.
Many EMR software companies report a statistic of a vast majority of smaller medical practices (those with four medical providers or less) choose the Cloud Computing/ASP route for a variety of personal practice reasons.
Conclusion: Physician COMFORT is the key. We can help deploy EMR of your specialty whichever application is best for you; including a Hybrid of the different choices. Please feel free to call today for any questions.
