| Electronic medical records are gaining in popularity. | | | | will likely never meet the team managing your |
| These legal medical records are digitally stored on | | | | server. - Patient data will controlled by the EMR |
| an organization's computer system. Examples of | | | | company, not you. - If the EMR Company fails, |
| medical organizations that use electronic medical | | | | you risks losing all patient data. Client/Server |
| records include hospitals, outpatient healthcare | | | | based EMR Software Client/Server models allow |
| facilities, and doctors' offices. Electronic medical | | | | for quicker response times in the application as |
| records allow records to be stored, manipulated, | | | | data from the server to the client is transmitted |
| and retrieved at any time. | | | | much faster (usually 100 Mbits/second). The |
| Some EMR software is ASP-based, and some is | | | | newer client/server products developed in Java |
| built on a client/server model. Which is right for | | | | and Microsoft.Net are capable of offering the |
| you? | | | | "best of both worlds" as they have the speed of |
| ASP based EMR Software ASP is a remotely | | | | a local system plus the accessibility from a |
| hosted software system accessed via an internet | | | | remote location. |
| web browser, similar to the model used in online | | | | With the client/server model, a server located at |
| banking. This remotely hosted system is accessed | | | | your offices houses all patient data, and |
| by paying a rental or service fee. The server is | | | | distributes it to clients, which are simply desktop |
| secure and HIPPA compliant and is not located in | | | | or laptop computers in your office. This has a |
| your office. All technical aspects of the server are | | | | number of advantages over the ASP model. - |
| managed by a professional IT company, and you | | | | Because data transfer doesn't rely on an Internet |
| pay a monthly access fee (or per occurrence | | | | connection, it's fast and reliable. - You-not the EMR |
| fee) for the services of this IT company. The | | | | company-control patient data. - The EMR |
| cost of an ASP-based system is relatively low in | | | | integrates better with your other devices, such as |
| the beginning; however, because the fees never | | | | printers and scanners. - The EMR better supports |
| stop the cost over the long term adds up and | | | | integrated voice recognition technology. |
| usually ends up being more expensive than using a | | | | Your choice If you're trying to decide between an |
| Client/Server-based system. | | | | ASP-based EMR and one that is built on a client |
| With the application service provider (ASP) model, | | | | server model, be sure to weigh the pros and |
| all data is located on a server at an offsite | | | | cons of each option. |
| location selected by the EMR Company. This may | | | | EMR Software adoption is expected to increase |
| seem ideal because it requires you to buy less | | | | significantly over the next several years thanks |
| hardware, there are some problems: - When you | | | | to Federal stimulus money earmarked for the |
| use your EMR, you'll be accessing data over the | | | | implementation of electronic medical records |
| Internet, and that can make data transfer slow | | | | systems nationwide. |
| (or even impossible if your connection fails). - You | | | | |