Electronic Health Records For Dummies

Deciding to host locally or remotely

Now you’re ready to think about hosting. Not a party (though one probably sounds good right about now), but your EHR. You have two choices: local hosting or remote hosting.

Local hosting means that you house the server that maintains the EHR information right there in your office. To make this work for you, you have to budget for not only the server but also the tech support that goes with maintaining the server and any networking components and computer workstations that access the server. The onus to secure, maintain, and manage the server is on you, the local host.

Remote hosting, generally called an application service provider (ASP) or software as a service (SaaS), is a great option if you don’t want the cost of server hardware. In this case, the software lives on a secure offsite server, you provide the individual workstations and any necessary networking, and pay for high-speed Internet access. Additionally, you pay the hosting company for its services.

Several major differences exist between a locally hosted EHR and a remotely hosted system. By reviewing these differences, you can determine the best fit for you and your practice.

Locally hosted solution

If you have a practice with an IT staff and have strong feelings about controlling everything about your system and data, you should consider the locally hosted model.

Characteristics of a locally hosted solution include the following:

Hardware and software are located at your practice. ...