Internet-Based Orthodontic Software Facilitates Better Support Services
By Charles A. Lewis
Some of my previous articles discussed the benefits offered by Internet-based orthodontic management software, as well as the increased efficiencies achieved by using it for paperless operation. Orthodontists have been rapidly catching on to these advantages and choosing what I call Internet Program Delivery (‘IPD’) to operate their practice. And because doctors tend to talk to colleagues when they discover products or methods that can make practicing orthodontics easier, the interest in IPD is quickly intensifying. In fact, 100% of the systems our company installed during the past 18 months have been Internet-based and most are the result of referrals from other IPD users.
In January 2006, the company of which I am CEO began its 4th year of providing fully integrated, clinical / information / management software, via the Internet, from its own datacenter in Los Angeles. During that time, we have seen a significant change in (1) the age of doctors who are choosing Internet-based systems; and (2) the number of years they have been in practice. Young doctors who grew up using PCs and are beginning a new practice no longer make up the majority of new users; it is now the doctors who have been in practice for 15-30 years. We have even installed an IPD system for a 78-year old orthodontist!
This article discloses how Internet-based software has improved one of the most important aspects of operating a multifaceted clinical / information / management system: Providing immediate and effectual technical support for the user.
Essentially, the support services for an Internet-based system can be put into 5 categories:
Software updates and/or fixes: It is much easier to provide software updates or fixes for an Internet-based system than it is for a local area network (LAN). That is because all the updates and/or fixes are made on the servers in the software vendor’s datacenter and then become instantly available to all IPD clients. To illustrate, let’s use the following example:
A program problem is reported and the programmers determine that it is the fault of the program; not user-error. Once the ‘fix’ is finished it is simply loaded onto the IPD servers and all the users connected to the servers have a corrected program. (In most cases, they don’t even know that there ever was a problem!) Compare that to having to upload the program fix to hundreds of LAN servers in offices throughout the country and you can quickly see the difference. The same advantage exists for the regular software updates.
Identifying and fixing reported software errors: Users who encounter software errors rarely document the accompanying error-message for the technical support staff and, for the most part, they never seem to remember exactly what they were doing when the problem occurred. Absent this vital information, it is often difficult (or impossible) to recreate the error. If it cannot be recreated, the IPD user can be instructed to immediately call for support if the error occurs again and to leave the message on the screen. With an Internet-based system (and the client’s permission) a support technician can log onto the specific workstation experiencing the problem and see the exact message, in what program function it was encountered, etc. and do all this without interrupting anyone else using the system. Normally, that would not be feasible (or even possible) with a LAN.
Another key advantage is that IPD makes it possible, in most cases, to easily determine whether an error is the fault of the software, or is user-induced. That is due to the fact that all IPD clients use the exact same software executable so if the program contains an error, hundreds of IPD users will all encounter it! Conversely, if only one client is experiencing an error the vast likelihood is that it is (1) a user error; and/or (2) a network or hardware problem in that specific office.
These exclusive capabilities make it possible for the software support technicians to more easily identify and correct problems, which greatly assist the program user.
Correcting user mistakes and related instruction: User mistakes are a very common occurrence when a comprehensive database program is used in a busy orthodontic office. The previously mentioned ability to log onto any workstation in an Internet-based system allows the support technician to correct any user mistakes. Equally important, the tech can show the user what caused the mistake in the first place and let them observe how it is corrected. This visual ‘mini-training’ is specific to the slip-up that was made and helps the user avoid making the same mistake again. This same special facility for logging onto any workstation allows individual training sessions for new staff members, lessons on a specific subject for a particular user, etc.
Diagnosing and/or correcting network issues: Internet-based systems make it easy to diagnose whether a problem exists on a server in the datacenter, or in the network of the office reporting the trouble. For instance, if an IPD office experiences a problem with slow performance or random disconnections and no other users on the same server have that problem, it is easy to deduce that the cause is in the reporting office’s network.
Many software companies do not offer network support services for their clients due to the complexities of remotely providing this often-complicated support function for local area networks. However, IPD systems enable the software provider to remotely prevent and/or correct most network problems through services such as these:
Our company invested the time and effort to develop systems that enabled all these services to be automated and provided from the datacenter; no onsite visits are required. This makes it possible to provide the services at a very affordable price. Because these services are preventive in nature, actual network breakdowns are extremely rare.
Hardware Component Problem Isolation: Isolating hardware problems within an IPD-based system can be achieved more rapidly. That is due to the minimal usage of processor and memory resources on the local PC workstations because IPD servers perform all the processing functions. (This allows incredible flexibility in integrating ‘older’ PCs with ‘outdated’ processors and/or minimal RAM into an IPD network.) With IPD, the primary resource usage is in the area of network connectivity and bandwidth with the exchange of Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) data between the local PC and the remote datacenter server. Due to the nature of IPD, any performance issues that have been found conclusively not to be related to network latency from a respective ISP, or to any taxing of IPD server resources, have to be isolated to the hardware infrastructure of the LAN. The problem can typically be isolated to a specific network component, since other hardware malfunctions (like hard drive ‘crashes’, power unit or memory chip failures) will usually prevent the local PC from even ‘booting up.’ Because the orthodontic office connects to the IPD servers over the Internet, it is relatively simple for datacenter technicians to quickly pinpoint the probable source of the hardware breakdown.
Example: An office using an IPD system reports difficulties connecting to the datacenter’s server, or says it is experiencing degraded speed performance. Right away, datacenter technicians conduct an analysis on that system’s server to find out if all the operating parameters are in the ‘normal’ range. Technicians also run network ‘trace routes’ to and from the user’s IP address to ensure that network latency from the datacenter to the reporting office is within acceptable standards.
As an added precaution, a few other offices whose systems use that server can be called to find out if they are encountering similar issues. If all the other systems connected to that server are operating within norms, the datacenter technicians have now successfully isolated the problem to the reporting office location. If network latency was found, this can be resolved by opening a trouble ticket with the respective ISP and the information for the problematic router can be quickly provided. If normal network latency is found for the network path between the remote office and the IPD server (and all resource usage is normal), the source of the trouble can now most likely be narrowed to four hardware items within the local office: router, firewall, network interface card, or the switch/hub on the LAN. Quick diagnostic testing on the LAN by support technicians can establish which component is problematic and a recommendation can be made for correction/replacement.
All of the above only takes a matter of minutes and the user avoids having to pay a local network technician $125 per hour to come to the office and troubleshoot the problem. If you do have to call a technician, they know exactly which system components to focus on and can bring the needed replacement parts.
Summary
You don’t have to be a computer expert to know that your existing LAN-based system doesn’t offer these advantages. And, you have probably never experienced these levels of support services. Over and above all the obvious benefits that have been mentioned, there is one more important reward for users of Internet-based systems: Reduced support costs!
Four years ago, our company actually decreased the support fees for IPD clients and they haven’t been raised since! This is a great example of using new technologies, and the increased efficiencies they offer, to lower the operational costs of orthodontists.
About the Author: Charles A. Lewis is the Chairman and CEO of CPI Technologies Corporation and CEO of its subsidiary companies; Advanced Ortho Systems, LLC and Advanced Dental Systems, LLC. His many published articles on paperless operations, practice automation, and Internet-based delivery of management software have worldwide readership. Charles lectures at seminars and dental colleges on increasing practice efficiency through paperless operation and the use of Internet-based systems. He can be contacted at 877.803.4412.