Every practice owner has to keep track of numbers, financial or otherwise. Most dentists don’t have formal training in accounting but you still have to manage the finances. It can be quite a challenging task. At the end of the day, the amount left in your bank account after paying the bills is what’s important.
There are two ways to increase that number – reduce your expenses or increase revenue. How can you cut back your bills without affecting the quality of care for your patients? One way is to move your IT needs to the cloud. Cloud EHRs services are not new but quite a few practices continue to use on-premise applications. But the cloud can help you eliminate or reduce quite a few expenses.
Save on IT Costs
Any dental practice will have computer hardware and software in the office. You need the expertise of an IT professional or two to maintain them. IT services are not cheap and moving to the cloud doesn’t mean you will no longer need IT experts. However, there will be fewer occasions where you need technical help.
Cloud EHR vendors deliver their services over the Internet to any device with a browser. Software installation, applying updates, security patches, and maintenance are all taken care of by the vendor. The only reason for you to call for help will be for hardware issues. This alone can vastly reduce the IT bills each month.
Eliminate the costs of Backup
Whether you use the cloud or not, backing up your data is a must. A practice with on-premise software might back up their data to a physical device and ship it to another location. Another clinic might mirror their server data to an attached hard drive. A situation comes with its own set of drawbacks. Off-site backups make it difficult to restore data when you need it. Mirroring your server ignores the risk of physical damage to the equipment like a fire.
Switching to a cloud EHR can save you both time and money. A typical cloud EHR service will automatically back up your data in real-time. There is no need to set a schedule for daily or weekly backups. Even if your computer crashes, you can log into your account from another device and instantly access the latest data. It also reduces the minor annoyances and frustration that normally accompanies most backup tasks.
Save on Physical Upgrades and Maintenance
With on-premise software, you need powerful computers with the latest specifications for the best performance. It means that you have to upgrade your hardware every three or four years to keep up with the requirements of the EHRs and practice management software. A cloud EHR allows you to break that upgrade cycle. In many cases, you only need a device with a browser to log in to your account. You don’t even need a desktop!
Quite a few cloud EHRs are optimized for mobile devices i.e. your staff can access patient and clinical information with a smartphone or tablet. Not only will your devices last longer but you don’t have to purchase the latest hardware which is often expensive.
The above three items are just a few ways in which cloud EHRs can save you money. Hosted EHR services are more secure than their on-premise counterparts. Your data is better protected, backed up in real-time to commercial-grade data centers, and always accessible from any location. Some of these features translate to monetary benefits while others can save you precious time. If you’ve been considering the switch to cloud EHR services, it’s time to make your move!
