General Surgery Coding Alert

Question: We’re considering going to “cloud” storage for our Electronic Health Records (EHR), and would like to know the pros and cons of that option compared to ourcurrent EHR server located in our surgery practice office.

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Here’s a quick cheat sheet that explains what the “client server vs. cloud” debate means for your lab’s storage of Protected Health Information (PHI).

With a client server, your practice hosts the storage hardware, such as a computer or hard drive, which is physically located on site at your office. This system requires equipment and personnel, such as a dedicated IT staffer to ensure server reliability, smooth upgrades, network security, and myriad other concerns.

If you have a cloud-based EHR, the vendor provides software and file storage from a server offsite, and you access your patients’ medical records through a secure connection.

Cloud advantages: The following points indicate why you might want to switch to cloud-based EHR storage:

• Easier set up: If you choose a cloud-based EHR, you don’t need to have an ‘IT guy’ on site. PHI is stored and protected offsite under the care the vendor’s IT staff.
• Smoother workflow: Your vendor’s IT team performs updates and maintenance overnight to protect workflow so that clinicians at your lab never miss a beat.
• Work from anywhere: If your clinicians work at multiple locations, the cloud makes EHR available from any location and any device that has a secure Internet connection.
• Reduced risk of data breaches: While some providers may fret about how safe PHI is in the cloud, it’s likely more secure than many client server environments. That’s because data breaches that plague health care providers are often the result of lost or stolen hardware, and the cloud limits these causes for breaches.
• Outsourced backup and disaster planning: If your EHR is on a client server, it’s your problem. If you’re on the cloud, it’s your vendor’s problem.