I may be wrong. I once spent hours and hours experimenting with sync. This was back in 3.0. I think sync is tolerable if you are a solo practitioner. But, if it is truly SYNCING, then after the sync your Main computer will have the same data as your laptop. So, let's call it Main Computer, Laptop A and Laptop B.
Dr. Laptop A goes home and does five charts. She comes back and syncs her computer with the Main computer. Now those five progress notes would be on the Main Computer and everything on the Main Computer would be on Laptop A. Then Laptop B syncs, but is missing the five progress notes that were on Laptop A. Now if the Main Computer TRULY syncs, it would possibly see the fact that those progress notes are not there and delete them. Now, of course, it could add them. It just depends on how it is set up. The following examples from Microsoft's free Synctoy 2.1 may help. These are not to be read after drinking. And, that is after they simplified things. But, Synctoy talks about Left to Right, because it sets things up by browsing to a folder which it calls the left folder and then browsing to a folder which is the target folder and calls it the right folder. Then it has different methods for moving files from left to right. Or in our case from the laptop to the Main Computer. So:
SYNCHRONIZE:
The synchronize action will make two folders mirror each other, keeping the latest changes made to the files in either folder. New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other. Folder Creates, folder deletes and folder updates are also propagated both ways.
For example, you have two computers. You keep a copy of pictures, documents, and/or tunes on both. Changes often occur on both computers. You want SyncToy to notice additions, deletions, changes, and renames on both computers, and then do the right thing to bring the folders back in sync. Synchronize is the SyncToy action to use.
Every file in the left folder that is new or changed is copied to the right folder.
Every file in the left folder that has been renamed is renamed in the right folder.
Every file that was deleted from the left folder is deleted in the right folder.
Note: SyncToy does not actually delete any files by default. It merely moves the files to the Recycle Bin. To change this behavior, uncheck the "Save overwritten files in the Recycle Bin" option in the folder pair option window.
The process is repeated for files in the right folder.
(I guess this would be a nice feature, if possible)
ECHO:
The echo action will make copies of files that are new and changed on the left to the right. New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right. Folder creates, folder deletes and folder updates on the left are repeated on the right.
For example, when you travel, you take a copy of your pictures, tunes, and documents to work on. When you return, you want SyncToy to notice the files you added, changed, deleted, and renamed in the left folder, and you want SyncToy to recreate those additions, changes, deletions, and renames in the right folder. Echo is very similar to Synchronize, except Echo works only left to right.
Echo is the SyncToy action to use.
Every file in the left folder that is new or changed is copied to the right folder.
Every file in the left folder that has been renamed is renamed in the right folder.
Every file that was deleted from the left folder is deleted in the right folder.
No left folder files are deleted, or renamed.
No files are copied from right to left.
Right folder files are deleted
CONTRIBUTE:
Contribute will add changes from the left folder to the right folder. New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions. Folder creates and folder updates on the left are repeated on the right
For example, you have a compact flash, SD, USB thumb drive, or other removable media that you take with you when you travel. You probably delete some files on the removable drive while you are away so that you can add or change other files. When you get back, you only want SyncToy to recognize new, renamed, and changed files, and you want the new stuff copied to the right folder. Contribute is the same as Echo but without the deletes.
Contribute is the SyncToy action to use.
New and updated files from the left folder are copied to the right folder.
Files renamed in the left folder are renamed in the right folder.
No files are deleted.
No files are copied from right to left.
Reading through these, and I would suggest just for fun that you download it (just Google Synctoy) and read these where they are formatted better and there are charts, which are even more confusing.
But, if you always think of the left folder in Synctoy as the Laptop and the right folder as the Main Computer, then I would especially look at the deletes. Echo seems to make sense even with the deletes. Contribute seems the best, although I am not sure what is supposed to happen if you delete a medication. Should that be recognized?
But, the nice thing about looking at these is that they give examples of taking a USB or other portable drive (laptop) away and how they would sync back.
I, again, have no idea, but if Laptop A comes back and syncs five new progress notes and then Laptop B comes back, wouldn't the Main Computer see Laptop B, (and given that those notes aren't there), look at it like they were deleted? And, therefore, delete them from the Main Computer?
CAVEAT: I am not suggesting using Synctoy in place of AC's built in sync program just using it as an example of how syncing can be done differently and affect the outcome differently.
Whether I am right or wrong or contributing anything to this discussion (and I am certainly not knocking the program), your data is mission critical. Therefore, no matter what, I would use a VM or a standalone sandbox machine and play with it multiple, multiple times with a fake patient base to see how it works for you before you run out to the nursing home.
