A recent Inc. magazine article made a rather bold declaration recently: “Companies that don’t take advantage of cloud computing will be in the minority in less than six years.” Is your dental practice considering a cloud-based computing system? If so, you’ll be in the majority by the time 2020 rolls around. The reasons for the increasing popularity for cloud-based computing are simple: The need for mobile computing continues to increase, and there is also an increasing use of electronic health records.
Let’s take a look at what it means to move your practice “into the cloud.”
Barriers to Cloud Computing No Longer Worrisome
In the past, there were three barriers to moving toward cloud computing: (1) security, (2) privacy, and (3) reliability. These issues have improved dramatically.
Consider too IT problems that come with using “old-fashioned” hardware and software. Cloud computing eliminates most of these types of IT problems such as data integrity, performance, compatibility and reliability issues, capital expenditures, data integrity, and other associated IT costs. The need for servers is also reduced and the number of software licenses will likely be lowered by moving your IT system to the cloud.
Top 7 Reasons to Move Your Dental Practice to the Cloud
1. You have around-the-clock access. You can work any time, day or night, since the cloud gives you 24-hour access to data and office systems.
2. You can work from anywhere. If you have multiple offices, you want to work from home or another remote location, or you are out of town, cloud-based computing gives you access from your laptop, tablet, smartphone–any device.
3. Your data is secure. Your cloud provider has better security than your dental office. Your monthly cloud subscription includes compliance with HIPAA guidelines, as well as monitoring, encryption, and security audits.
4. You can use any device. Whether you lean toward PC or Mac, it doesn’t matter. Cloud computing is browser based, not platform based.
5. You will easily stay up to date. Cloud-based computing automatically updates, so you’ll always be up on the latest updates, upgrades, and patches.
6. Your business will have continuity. If our practice suffers a catastrophic event, you will still have full access to all of your data: accounting information, patient and prescription records, appointment schedules, and any other information that is needed to keep your practice running smoothly.
7. You can focus on patients rather than computers. Don’t worry about downloading, installing, upgrading, or maintaining practice software ever again. Your focus instead can be on patients–where it should be.
Do you have plans to move your dental practice to the cloud? Given the reasons in this article, it does seem like a good business decision, and it’s not difficult to understand why most businesses–dental practices included–will likely move to the cloud eventually.