Home Forums Discussions IT, Networking, PCs and more Common Questions I Deal With All The Time

FAQs:

Question: Why do EMRs like AdvancedMD, Dr. Krono, etc. place a limit on how many transactions per minute/hour/etc. you can call on their online API?

Answer: Because they all host their stuff in the cloud and Amazon Web Services/Microsoft Azure charge for bandwidth. Allowing someone to upload 200,000 patient records in a few minutes, and allowing for the bandwidth to do so, means someone gets a hefty bill at the end of the month. Other reasons include the fact that they have limited compute power for the database servers and probably a few thousand other clients all pushing/pulling data. Therefore, you (and they) are throttled so you won't choke things up and cost the EMR company in question lots of money.

Question: How many different EMR databases are you familiar with?

Answer: Amazing Charts, PrimeSuite, NextGen, EMDs, AMS, eClinicalWorks, Intergy, Office Practicum, Practice Now, AdvancedMD, AllScripts, Care360, Isalus, Lytec. Note that some of those you never get the actual database itself but an export from the vendor's cloud.

Question: How many languages do you write code in?

Answer: C#, Visual Basic .Net, Visual Basic 6.0, and Transact-SQL. Back in my college days you could throw C++ and Java in that mix, but I haven't used those languages in almost 20 years.

Question: Do you support Apple Products?

Answer: No. Apple sucks.

Question: What do you think of the recent ransomware attacks?

Answer: I think it's a combination of many things. In some cases, the bad guys are just that good. In other cases, you have IT managers that just need to be fired or execs that need to be replaced. They care nothing for IT and don't want to budget for it. So, you end up with these big companies you think would know better but they aren't using Multi-factor Authentication, they still have end-of-life systems in full production with no support, and not a soul in management cares.

Question: Why do you like working with AC so much?

Answer: Because it is the only EMR that has not gone totally bat sheet crazy. The rest have overly complicated database designs, complete disdain for their users/customers and have horrible support. Further, the ease of use of the AC database for 90% of what anyone would want from it speaks volumes. This isn't to say AC is perfect. They aren't. And they have started doing some things I find distasteful, but AC is still one of my all-time favorites to work with. I have other favorites, mind you, but AC is on up there.

Question: What IT functions do you get paid the most money for?

Answer: Custom software development, database conversions, and Clustering/High Availability setups. I also do pretty well providing onsite/offsite backup solutions.

Question: What is the most expensive setup you have ever put together.

Answer: To date, a Hyper-V failover cluster with in-guest SQL Server Cluster and in-guest FTP Failover cluster at the main office, Distributing File Services so one file share is replicated to 5 branch offices, each branch with two servers in Hyper-V Replica, and their own SQL Server with SQL Server Replication replicating the database in the main office to each branch office. Therefore, each branch has their own local copy of the data be it file share or SQL database and every change made in each office is replicated to all the other offices with the main office being the primary copy. I'd say the final cost is somewhere between $250k - $300k if I had to put a number on it. I learned how to keep up with mileage on that project.

Question: What is your biggest IT mistake in your career.

Answer: Not starting my own business sooner.

Question: What made you decide to write this post? I mean, some of it is useful, some of it is your opinion, and that one question with the long answer is just you showing off how much you know.

Answer: It's 9:30pm and I'm waiting on conversion program I wrote to finish running and I was bored.

JamesNT

hahaha fun.

What do you think of Office Practicum? That is a pediatric specific EMR that has a large market share in pediatric practices..

Office Practicum seems to have a good thing going for it as a software overall.

However, their support when it comes to getting your data out of their system is second rate. All the exports I have ever been given are never the same which indicates they are not using an automated process but rather someone probably using a tools such as Access to pull the data out. I always spend hours cleaning the data up before I can ever convert it. The biggest problem is their csv files are not exported using proper CSV format. They'll have carriage returns in the wrong place, things like that.

JamesNT

"Question: Do you support Apple Products?

Answer: No. Apple sucks."

You must be kidding!

I can assure you; I am not kidding. Apple sucks and I do not support their products.

Reasons why Apple Sucks:

1. A platform of lock in. Once you have stuff in the Apple platform, it is hard to get it out.
2. A complete lack of management tools.
3. A complete lack of interoperability with other platforms such as Android and Microsoft.

Apple does not make products or solutions for the Enterprise, for Business, or for the masses. They make over priced "boutique" products for people who want to look cool to their friends.

JamesNT