What do you do when you have to decide between client/server of web based EMR software for your medical practice? Like anything else in life, these two software models have both advantages and disadvantages. In order to make a good decision when picking out the best EMR program for your practice, you should try to explore a little the advantages and disadvantages of these two models. The web based EMR software is, as the name suggests, a remotely software system. It can only be accessed using an Internet web browser. Also, in the majority of cases, it is accessed by paying a rental or service fee. Considering the fact that the server is not located in your office, the initial installation costs are very low. Moreover, any technical aspect of the server is handled by a professional IT company.
Another advantage of the web based EMR software is that it is secure and HIPAA compliant. This software system can be accessed by you or your staff at any time, from any place, provided that it has Internet access, of course. The greatest disadvantage of this system is that the fees never stop coming and so, the expenses over the long term add up and the web based system ends up being more expensive than using a client/server EMR software. On the other hand, the client/server EMR software is a lot faster. Just think about the number of patients that you have in one day. Doesn’t it make you want to check how much of your vital time is spent daily simply by waiting for data to transfer over the Internet? Check that and afterwards think about how long it takes during the peak traffic hours of internet usage. Client/server EMR programs also give you the possibility to be in control of your data. The disadvantage in this is that along with this control you get data management which makes your practice vulnerable to theft, fire, hard-drive failure and data corruption.