Regardless of if you have a practice consisting of a single doctor at one location, or a multi-physician and multi-office practice, in order to realize an electronic medical records (EMR) system, you need to begin by developing the physical guts of system infrastructure. In most instances, contractors will handle the network wiring both in your office and over inter-office communication networks. We recommend contractors certified by the Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI). This is because it is crucial for contractor to be well-familiar with current issues, in order to avoid a surprise such as incompatible connections or exorbitant labor costs. The network should be done correctly on the first attempt.
Consider each separate location and its specific needs:
Wireless: Considering wireless networking, commonly known as WiFi? If you are, you will have to choose which standard, be it: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11h. These different standards are all different densities, and use different locations for access points. There are newer standards which provide higher data transfer speeds, but these systems cost significantly more. The wireless standard that you select should also depend on whether you’re running a thin or fat client.
Electricity: It’s standard IT practice to spend a little bit extra to have a certified electrician install your network and servers. Typical Cat5e wires have either T568A or T568B as a standard. Select either on,e and be sure your components are wired to the same standard. The Cat6 wire standard is newer and a bit more expensive; this is probably a bit overkill for most medical practices. Copper wires between telephone communications closets should not contain segments longer than a hundred meters. Consider using fiber optic cable for longer wiring distances, as these cables can transmit more information and are not as vulnerable to interference and effects from lightning. There are a bit more expensive, however.
Over-wire: Most existing buildings are wired above the ceiling. Wiring is then dropped down the walls. When wiring, we recommend doing ”double drops,’ as the largest cost of wire installation is labor. If, when wiring, everywhere you think of a network connection, you wire two drops, you will thank yourself later when you want to add more network devices (such as a networked printer, time clock, wireless access point, kiosk, etc.). It’s wise to consider installing a network drop wherever you can anticipate placement of diagnostic equipment. This will help facilitate future interface needs.
Cooling: Network and server equipment create abundant heat and also tend to shut down when over-heated. Plan for this by making sure you have adequate cooling at the ready; you may consider installing a small air-conditioning unit.
Security: Don’t forget security! Be sure to make the wiring closet secure, and remember that anyone with access to this closet has the ability to disengage your network at any time.
You will need to create a wide area network (WAN) for a connection between remote office locations. If you do your homework you will get a good sense of all the options available in your geographic area. Usually the more metropolitan regions have better options for wide area networking.
Fiber Backbones: Local utilities commonly maintain a fiber backbone which they allow businesses access to. These fiber backbones can create options for high (10-100Mpbs) bandwidth rates between office locations, at rates that are quite competitive.
Local Phone Service: Meet and understand your local service techs and sales people. They understand the technological offerings in your geographic area. Some of the points to consider include T1 lines: would a Point to Point (PTP) or Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) be more beneficial? Be sure to inquire about both burst and committed info rates. A fast T1 connection may not be enough for your needs if the max data rate is not available when you need it most. Will the phone company supply and maintain the router hardware, or is that your responsibility?
Remember, infrastructure costs are much lower in newer buildings. Plan accordingly. In fact, it can be a huge advantage to oversee the construction of wiring in a new building, during construction. Still, most practices are located within pre-existing structures, and in these cases infrastructure design requires forethought and sound planning in order to save the disappointment and costs associated with network blunders.
Author: Peter Polack
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Pressure Cooker
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