Handling
your Data
Application
Service Provider
Phone
Based Software
Spotlight:
New Technical Support Representative
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As your clinic makes
the switch to a paperless office, you no
longer have boxes upon boxes of patient
charts and other paperwork.
Yet with electronic medical records comes
a new issue: electronic data storage.
With computerization of your medical records
comes new responsibility: data storage,
back-up and recovery. These are vital aspects
of EMR, but physicians often do not have
the expertise to handle these issues effectively.
Intuitive Solutions, however, does have
the necessary expertise and the resources
to help you address these responsibilities.
Intuitive Solutions has identified some
basic guidelines regarding data storage,
back-up and recovery.
| - |
Ensure
that, first of all, there is enough
data storage capability on your clinic’s
hard drive to handle the software
requirements. Monitor your system
on a daily or weekly basis, so that
you are not surprised when you run
out of room. Data storage is typically
inexpensive when bought ahead of time. |
| - |
Understand the
differences between types of data.
Not all data needs to be readily accessible.
There are three types of data. The
first does need to be accessible;
this is information or charts for
patients who are currently coming
into the office. This type of data
should be stored on magnetic media.
The second type of data is archival;
this is information on patients who
have not come to the office for two
or three years, and can be stored
on read-only storage disks. And the
third type of data is information
about patients who have not come in
for longer than three years- after
a certain point, this data becomes
destroyable, and can be deleted automatically,
according to a flagging process within
the system. Identifying the three
types of data helps your clinic cut
down on unnecessary storage and eliminates
superfluous data. |
| - |
Back-up is key.
Most clinics perform a daily or weekly
back-up of all data, and some even
perform an hourly one. Back-up can
be automated easily, and is a very
important step in converting to a
paperless office. Intuitive Solutions
offers this service to our customers;
contact the office for more information. |
| - |
Having a data
recovery plan in place ahead of time
is essential. With proper back up,
data recovery is possible. At Intuitive
Solutions, we offer a full Disaster
Recovery Evaluation, during which
we:
| * |
Set and/or
test all daily, weekly and monthly
backups, as well as onsite and
off site backups |
| * |
Create
a customized recovery document
for y our practice |
| * |
Create
a customized maintenance document
to minimize the occurrence of
disaster |
|
In short, the added responsibilities that
come with EMR can be automated easily. It
just requires a little planning.
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Many physicians do not want their server
in their own office. Instead, they are
using an application service provider,
or ASP, to house their server for them.
ASPs combine software, hardware and networking
technologies to offer a unique service.
For a fee, ASPs become your outsourced
IT department; your servers, your help
desk, your IT management, and even your
access from anywhere. Physicians say that
this gives them a sense of confidence,since
the responsibility of housing the server
is no longer on their shoulders.
How does it work?
This model works simply; you send your
data to your provider every day, and the
rest is taken care of for you. Users run
their applications exactly as if they
were loaded on their own desktop by simply
clicking an icon. The operation is so
seamless and transparent that it's almost
impossible to tell that the program is
not running on the local computer. Rather,
it is running from a managed data center
and being delivered through the Internet.
Traditionally, an office network is setup
for users to run applications and share
data that is centrally stored on a file
server. Users are connected to the server
via an onsite network. ASPs operate similarly
but with two significant differences:
One, the central server making everything
work is no longer onsite - no investing
in equipment, upgrades or upkeep. And
two, instead of relying on an onsite network
to connect the user with the server, ASPs
use the Internet - which is free, reliable
and unlimited in its reach.
Because users can log in from any browser,
they're able to work anywhere - from home,
from work, or from the road. Regardless
of where, the experience is exactly the
same. This is what makes it possible for
users in multiple locations to all operate
centrally under a single "virtual roof".
As soon as users log in, they're using
the same programs, files, messaging system,
etc.
What about backing up my data?
With the ASP model, backups are all done
at another facility, so you do not have
to give them any thought. The service
provider you use typically has a much
more high-efficiency system, staffed by
people who have more experience with hardware
and who take full responsibility for yours.
Choosing an ASP
Of course, it is very important that you
fully check out the ASP to see how your
data will be safeguarded, and how frequently
the ASP does quality checks. Basically,
be sure that the ASP is able to take the
responsibility that you are giving them.
Intuitive Solutions acts as an ASP for
its customers; we have the experience
and the know-how to be a proper ASP to
you. Contact us for more information.
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Very few practices use a phone-based
software application, even though they
are huge time-savers and have been around
for years. Most physicians know the benefits
of these systems; they lead to fewer no-shows
and pay for themselves in terms of saved
labor. Yet many people also believe these
systems to be expensive, which does not
have to be the case. There are newer options.
Instead of installing the software on
the clinic’s PC or network, you can now
use an Application Service Provider to
host it for you. There is usually only
a monthly or per-call charge associated
with this, meaning no upfront investment.
Thus you can try out the ASP without committing.
Another benefit to this option is that
you do not need any hightech hardware.
You simply need a modem. And this way,
you can use upgraded technology at no
extra cost, since the ASP will be doing
the upgrading, not you. Of course, with
an ASP, there is no set-up or training
necessary. The ASP takes care of it all
for you.
As for patient response, a study conducted
by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention found that 99.5 percent of
patients felt positive about automated
telephone calls. The calls simply remind
the patients of an appointment, without
requiring conversation. For the few who
do not like this type of call, they can
easily be placed on a “never-call” list
with the click of a button.
The ASP can also provide you with further
services that go beyond simple phone calls.
Lab results can be retrieved confidentially
via a PIN number, prescriptions can be
filled automatically, and patients can
leave messages for specific staff members,
ask questions, check appointments or even
check their account information.
Contact Intuitive Solutions for further
information; we act as an ASP for several
customers and can help you achieve the
full potential of automation.
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Intuitive Solutions
is pleased to introduce Dwayne Prejean,
our new Tech Support Representative.
Dwayne is a highly trained IT professional,
and has years of experience with AltaPoint
software.
For your tech support needs, please contact
Dwayne at 630.242.5651, or send him an
email at support@intuitivesolutions.net
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