kenbolar wrote on Friday, January 10, 2014:
It is very difficult to operate a traditional server especially the Ubuntu server. Is it possible to download the OpenEMR software on a storage drive such as the Seagate storage drive? Our intention is to be able to have access and use the application remotely. Any advise on how to use the software for multiple sites without the use of a traditional server will be appreciated.
mdsupport wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
OpenEMR is not a static list of files. It needs some programs that can read and update data. So you will not find any EMR system running from storage drive.
OpenEMR runs on any device that supports Apache/MySQL/PHP (software) servers. The operating systems could Linux variants OR Windows if you are more comfortable with that platform.
If you do not want to manage traditional servers, pay a little bit and several partners here will host your EMR or you can put your server on Amazon for remote access.
mdsupport wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
No need for multiple servers for multiple sites. Your server and one database with many facilities or one server with multiple databases are supported by this design.
penguin8r wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
Ubuntu Server LTS, is THE best production platform for OpenEMR, hands down. We have production Ubuntu servers that run for literally months and even years at a time without requiring system maintenance. Yes, it takes a little work to set things up properly when the system is initially brought on line, but once up and running, “difficult to operate” is an unfair assessment. Your post does not give any details as far as what hardware or operating system is in question, so without further information it’s difficult to give you a definitive answer. If you can provide the community here with a better idea of what it is you’re trying to do, we can provide better feedback and advice.
That being said, any kind of simultaneous multiple site or multiple provider access to OpenEMR is most likely going to require some central piece of hardware functioning in a “server” role. Again, please supply a little more information about your end goals with the system, so that I or someone else can better inform you.
kenbolar wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
Thanks all (MD Support and Penguin8R). What we are aiming to do is to use the software for multi clinics using the internet. The doctors in each site will have access to laptops while the server is based in a remote location. I have asked around and was informed that the best route is to use the Ubuntu server. But as stated earlier in my write-up, we have tried to this within the limit of our minimal resources but we are still having problems. We have bought two different servers and both of them did not work with the Ubuntu server. This is partly because of lack of expertise using Ubuntu and because of limited resources to hire a server technician. This is the reason we are looking into the possibility of using alternative server such as storage. Since storage is not usable for what we have in mind to do, I guess we may have to try the Amazon cloud server. Can you again explain the pros and cons of Amazon? Thanks
tmccormi wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
If you don’t know how to set up and maintain a server, you won’t be able to
use amazon AWS, plus it may not be as easy to get them to sign the BAA for
HIPAA compliance (if you need that) as they make it seem on their website.
I suggest you partner with an OpenEMR hosting company as your backend
support. Mine is one, there are other vendors as well that could help you.
Tony McCormick, CTO
Medical Information Integration, LLC
Direct: 713-574-6709, cell 503-330-2239
Office: 866-735-0897
@MI2_OpenEMR
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fsgl wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
OpenEMR is not “plug and play” software. As such, it will require a minimum of six month for physicians and staff to become educated and comfortable. This is exclusive of any preparation for Meaningful Use.
Generallly physicians have no formal training in computer science, therefore energy should be devoted to learning the software rather than a brand new operating system. A practice cannot get to the starting block, if the operating software is foreign.
Often the “best” operating system may be the one that is known and familiar to the practice. Transition from paper records or from another EHR will be smoother if it’s built on previously acquired skills. Once OpenEMR has been mastered, there be time enough, later on, for such refinements as Ubuntu.
If financial resources are scarce, the DIY route is the most logical. Because OpenEMR will work with practically any operating system, why not use the one that had been pre-installed? If it’s Windows, there is the added advantage that more than one member of the practice can act as administrator, building in redundancy.
The Wiki has become substantial. Forum members generally answer questions quickly and resolution can be had in a few days. Between the resources of the Wiki and the Forums, there are few insurmountable problems.
If one database is used for all locations, maintenance is simpler than with multiple sites, each with its own database. Security becomes paramount if Protected Medical Information is exchanged over the Internet.
fsgl wrote on Saturday, January 11, 2014:
From the Ubuntu Community Help Wiki, Switching To Ubuntu: “Switching to Ubuntu can be a slow process. The whole process - from the day you start thinking about Ubuntu to the day you get rid of your old operating system - can take two or four years.”
Adding to the complexity is the fact that the Ubuntu Server installation does not have a graphical user interface.