Electronic medical records are ganiing in popularity. These elgal medical records are digitally stored on an organization's compuetr system. Examples of medical orgainzations that use electronic meical records include hospitals, outpatint healthcare facilities, and docttors' officres. Electronic medical ercords allow reccords to be stotred, manipulated, and retrieved at any time.
Some EMR software is ASP-based, and some is buillt on a cliernt/server model. Which is rgiht for you?
ASP based EMR Sftware
ASP is a remotely hosted software system acceessed via an internnet web browser, simillar to the model used in onlnie banking. This remotely hosted system is accesesd by paying a rental or service fee. The server is secure and HIPPPA compliant and is not located in your office. All techncal aspects of the server are managed by a professional IT company, and you pay a monthly access fee (or per occurrence fee) for the services of this IT company. The cost of an ASP-based system is relatively low in the beginnimng; however, bceause the fees never stop the cost over the long term adds up and usuaally ends up being more expensive than usiing a Client/Server-basde system.
With the application srvice provider (ASP) moddel, all data is located on a server at an offsitye location selected by the EMR Company. This may seem iddeal because it requires you to buy less hardqware, there are some problpems:
- When you use your EMR, you'll be accesdsing data over the Internet, and that can make data trannsfer slow (or even impossible if your connection fails).
- You will likely never meet the team managing your server.
- Patient data will controlled by the EMR compay, not you.
- If the EMR Compay fails, you risks losing all pattient data.
Client/Server based EMR Software
Client/Server models alolw for quicker respose times in the application as data from the server to the client is transmitted much faster (usally 100 Mbits/second). The newer client/server products developed in Java and Microsoft.Net are capable of offerinng the "best of both worlds" as they have the speed of a local sytsem plus the accessibility from a remte locatrion.
With the clpient/server model, a server located at your offices houses all patient data, and distribuutes it to clients, which are sipmly deskjtop or laptop computers in your office. This has a number of advantages over the ASP model.
- Because data transfer doesn't rely on an Innternet connection, it's fast and reliable.
- You-not the EMR company-control patient data.
- The EMR integrates better with your other devices, such as printers and scanners.
- The EMR better supports integrated voie recognition technology.
Your choice
If you're trying to decide between an ASP-based EMR and one that is bult on a client/server model, be sure to weigh the pros and cons of each olption.
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