Practices with Electronic Medical Record software (EHR) stored on in-house servers may regret not being hosted in the cloud. They may feel they have no options to convert now without purchasing a cloud-based EHR or transferring all their computer functions to the cloud. Not true.
“We don’t move their whole IT environment to the cloud, just their EHR,” says David Powell, vice president of cloud services at TekLinks. “Then they can use devices like iPads and laptops, so their user experience is seamless across all devices.”
Basically, this means that instead of the EHR and its data flowing through the server inside the practice, it flows through a server at the cloud services provider. Staff then uses the Internet to access it.
Practices often become motivated to transition their EHRs to the cloud as their hardware ages. “Instead of replacing servers on their premises, they’re converting them to the cloud,” Powell says. “Now it’s a monthly expense and not a capital expense.”
Once the EHR is hosted on the cloud, practices no longer need to maintain, protect and house electronically sensitive servers. “We’re less likely to go down than a practice’s server,” Powell says, noting that cloud services providers are staffed with IT experts whose entire jobs are these servers.
Security also increases. For instance, to gain access to the servers at TekLinks requires a card scan and a fingertip vein scan. But Powell warns practices not to assume any security. Verify that a reputable third party audits the host’s security measures.
An EHR in the cloud also makes Meaningful Use easier to satisfy, because the cloud services provider assumes responsibility for almost half of HIPAA’s security checklist points. “Generally, you can check 20 of those off right away, like ensuring strong password selection, log capture and review, and backups. That leaves only 30 of them for you to do instead of 50,” Powell says.
Practices have not always embraced the cloud. When EHRs first appeared, the healthcare community was reluctant to let patient data out of their building. It’s different now. “Cloud consumption has really changed a lot,” Powell says. “Now everybody’s running to it.”
