Hello, my name is Scott Byrd and I am the IT Director at Bradford-Scott Data Corporation. I have worked here for 13 years now. One of my responsibilities and actually my favorite one is Research and Development of new Technologies and Hardware that is used both at Bradford-Scott and for our Customers.
The best thing about working at Bradford-Scott is the great Customer Service first attitude that everyone working here has. We really mean it when we say Customer Service is what we sell.
Just a short history of myself. I spent 6 years in the Marine Corps, where I worked in Avionics (Repair of Electrical Components on Aircraft). After that I had a couple of jobs doing electronic repairs of different components but my true passion through all of this has been computers. I spend most of my time following computer technology. I pride myself on keeping up on the latest technology and how it could help our customers.
What is remaining of my time is spent with my wife, Angi, who also works at Bradford-Scott, our two wonderful daughters Brianna, 6 and Kiley, 4 and our two Chihuahua's Itsy Bitsy, and Tina.
With a
Practice Management or EMR/EHR system from
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation you can access vital information from anywhere there is an Internet connection. This is accomplished using the latest in encryption and security.
- No expensive Connections for Part Time Remote Sites.
- Employees can easily connect and work from home.
- You can even connect up and work while on vacation.
This will enhance efficiency and provide better care to patients. This will also enhance he value of your
EHR/EMR or Practice Management system by providing you extended access to it and decreasing the cost of implementation. Simple low cost Internet connections are all that is needed.
Other EMR Vendors use expensive Citrix based solutions that can cost many thousands of dollars just for the Remote access portion of the Medical Software solution.
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation provides an equally effective solution for a fraction of the cost.
Open Source Software is free so why would I want to pay for someone else's software? While it is true that in Open Source solutions the application is generally free, you still have to pay for the installation, implementation, training, and possibly development. Don't get me wrong Open Source is a great concept and in many situations it is the best choice. Take Linux, the most popular and successful Open Source project, it benefits from its Open status because it attracts a wide range of programmers who directly benefit from the modifications they make. When selecting an
EMR/EHR solution you need to be careful this type of application does not appeal to as wide a group of people with the skills necessary to make modifications. This could leave you with the burden to customize or make changes to the application yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. When dealing with a commercial application you have the benefit of getting a product that has the backing of an
EMR Vendor with a vested interest in delivering a product that not only performs the functions you need but also exceeds those needs to keep you as a customer.
With Open Source products you only get functionality that has either already been written or those that you are willing to develop yourself. If you are in need of a
Pediatric EMR, Cardiology EMR, Enterprise EMR, or an EMR that integrates with a Medical Claims Software solution, you may need to have these customizations added for you at your expense. Commercial
EMR Vendors are motivated to deliver a product that delivers all of these functions and more.
Remember that selecting a Health Records system is an important choice. Ensure you have entrusted your decision in a company that will stand behind you, and deliver
Service and Support not just a Screen and a Mouse.
There is no doubt that there will be no single event that will change a medical practice like Electronic Medical Records. There will be a learning curve for both the staff as well as the doctors and other clinical staff. There will be new things to learn, there will be processes that will need to adapt, and there will be the dreaded CHANGE...
Is it all worth it!!! The truth is YES it is. There are many efficiencies and benefits that a computerized
EMR or EHR system will bring. It will make clinical staff more efficient and consistent in performing their tasks, it will make all that clinical information instantly available through searches and queries, it will also help you ensure you bill for the maximum benefit you are entitled by instantly determining the level of service you have provided to the patient.
To ensure you have the best solution you need to be sure your chosen Electronic Health Records system meets the following:
Lastly make sure who ever you choose will provide you the
support and guidance to ensure your success through out the process.
There is no doubt that there will be no single event that will change a medical practice like Electronic Medical Records. There will be a learning curve for both the staff as well as the doctors and other clinical staff. There will be new things to learn, there will be processes that will need to adapt, and there will be the dreaded CHANGE...
Is it all worth it!!! The truth is YES it is. There are many efficiencies and benefits that a computerized
EMR or EHR system will bring. It will make clinical staff more efficient and consistent in performing their tasks, it will make all that clinical information instantly available through searches and queries, it will also help you ensure you bill for the maximum benefit you are entitled by instantly determining the level of service you have provided to the patient.
To ensure you have the best solution you need to be sure your chosen Electronic Health Records system meets the following:
Lastly make sure who ever you choose will provide you the
support and guidance to ensure your success through out the process.
I can think of no more important or irreplaceable data than Electronic Health Records (EHR or EMR) data. This information is vital for a Doctor to perform their job and is very sensitive in nature and must be secured from unauthorized access.
There are many ways to protect EHR data, for the most part these fall into three categories: Security, Redundancy, and Backup.
- Security- The EHR data needs to be protected from unauthorized access. This is accomplished using several guidelines:
- Requiring strong user-names and passwords for access.
- Using Strong Encryption for remote access.
- Providing physical security for the EHR Server.
- Redundancy- Using multiple components doing the same job, so if one fails or is missing the EHR system will continue to operate.
- Our Medical Records Systems consist of three sets of mirrored RAID-1 drives. This means there are two drives containing identical data, so if any drive fails there is still a good drive to keep your server working.
- We maintain the working copy of your data on one of the three Mirrors and in real time as changes are made they are stored on a second Mirror. This means there are two copies of your data all the time and this data is written on four separate drives.
- We also use redundant Power Supplies on most of our EMR servers. Meaning if a Power Supply fails your server will keep working.
- Backup- Every night each database backs itself up to a different drive. The server is backed up each night so that all the changes of the day are stored on removable media. You should maintain a minimum of seven backup media, one for each workday and two to rotate for month end. You should always maintain at least one tape off-site in a secure location in the event of a disaster.
By following these guidelines your EHR data will be kept safe and secure. This will minimize downtime and provide you with confidence that your data will be there when it is needed. Make sure all the EMR Vendors you consider provide you with at least this level of protection.
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