TRAKnet DPM / PodMed

TRAKnet DPM / PodMed - Don't hire an IT guy who has never heard of TRAKnet DPM! At New Jersey Computers, we have extensive experience with TRAKnet DPM and PodMed and we work with Biomedix software on a daily basis. We manage the IT needs of over a dozen podiatric physicians throughout New Jersey and have extensive experience with both TRAKnet DPM and PodMed by Biomedix. In fact, we are currently managing one of only four worldwide beta installations of a TRAKnet DPM version that has yet to be released to the public. At New Jersey Computers, we have extensive expertise in implementing turnkey hardware and security solutions designed specifically to host TRAKnet DPM DMP. Regardless of whether our clients needed a few upgrades and a backup solution or a full blown turn key solution including servers, desktops, laptops, security software, data backup solutions and a complete network designed from the ground up, we have done it all.

The process begins with a free site survey to evaluate your current hardware and network setup. We can then advise you on the proper solution, which based on our experience, will provide you with everything you need for the optimal environment to effieciently run your TRAKnet DPM software. We then install the hardware, configure the network and get your office ready for the installation of TRAKnet DPM. We are then present on the install day to assist the Biomedix technicians with the installation and configuration of your version of TRAKnet DPM. When the installation is complete we will always be there to assist you with all of your future IT needs.

Although we have extensive experience working with Biomedix support, New Jersey Computers is not affiliated with Biomedix in any way. PodMed and TRAKnet DPM are Trademarks of Biomedix Vascular Solutions. We highly recommend our services in conjunction with a subscription to Biomedix support. Although our experience with Biomedix software is extensive, many issues are resolved by collaborating with the Biomedix software developers and technical support staff. Additionally, a Biomedix support plan is required for regular TRAKnet DPM software updates.

We will gladly provide references from Podiatric Physicians, as well as from Biomedix, upon request.

Contact us today for more information or to speak with a consultant.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHY TRAKnet DPM?

Although this isn't really a tech question, I get this all the time. There are a handful of popular EMR and billing software applications designed for podiatrists. However, TRAKnet DPM is the first program to combine them both. TRAKnet DPM is an all-inclusive package, which consists of charting, billing, scheduling and inventory management. No other program offers that. To date I have not had a single client express regret for making the move to TRAKnet DPM.

DO I NEED A SERVER?

A server is highly recommended and not nearly as expensive as you might fear. You could get by with a 'file server', which is a desktop acting as a server, however for a bit more than the cost of the file server you can have all of the benefits of a true server. Centralized security and management, granular control over the network and users, more robust redundant data drives and centralized data storage that can be shared, protected and backed up with much greater ease. Regardless of whether you decide on a true server or a file server, it is very poor practice to have someone using a server as a workstation. Your server should be dedicated to hosting TRAKnet DPM and should never be used for other purposes or by any user.

I FOUND A SERVER ON THE DELL WEBSITE FOR $399. WHY IS THAT SO CHEAP?

For starters, that server does not include an operating system. Add another $1,200 for the operating system and suddenly it doesn't seem like such a great deal. At New Jersey Computers, we are Dell and Hewlett Packard authorized resellers. If we send you a cart for a Dell or HP server, we have taken the time to apply our years of experience with TRAKnet DPM and decades of experience with servers, to configure the proper unit to accomplish the mission. The server we recommend will be a unit that we know will work well today and for the next few years. We can easily reduce the price by removing components that we consider essential, however that will affect the performance that the server delivers and affect the users being hosted by the server. The short version of the story is that there are no magic beans in the IT industry. You get what you pay for. Our prices from Dell and HP come directly from those companies. There is zero markup. If our Dell or HP server costs more than a server you configure or see in a advertisement, there is a reason behind that and we would be happy to discuss that with you. Additionally, when we price hardware out, we do everything in our power to include all of the instant rebates available from the vendor so long as doing so does not compromise the quality of the hardware. We often save our clients thousands of dollars in instant savings with each project.

WHAT KIND OF NETWORK DO I NEED?

Your internet connection should be as fast as affordable to facilitate offsite database backups and working remotely from home. Your internal network should be fast and reliable with a high quality Gigabit router to accommodate the large amounts of data moving throughout the network. TRAKnet DPM is a network based software application. The faster your network, the faster TRAKnet DPM will run.

CAN I HAVE A WIRELESS NETWORK?

While it is possible to use wireless, wired connections are highly recommended. Wireless is not nearly as secure or fast as wired Ethernet. Additionally, it is very difficult to estimate where wireless interference may lie until the hardware is purchased and installed. There may be certain areas of your office or building that are total wireless dead spots due to the location of an electrical box, florescent lights, an X-ray machine or some other medical or non medical equipment. Additionally, all it takes is a momentary disconnect from a wireless network to cause problems with your shared network drives or the data being sent to the server. If you do insist on wireless, you should absolutely refrain from using a $100 router from your local retail store. You should settle for nothing less than a Cisco Aironet router, which is more reliable, secure and HIPPA compliant.

IS WINDOWS VISTA ACCEPTABLE? WHAT ABOUT WINDOWS 7?

We highly recommend either Windows XP Professional or Windows 7 Professional. Although TRAKnet DPM does run on Windows Vista Professional, technically speaking, it has some issues with user access control that cause headaches in a network. These issues are due to the design of the Windows Vista operating system and not TRAKnet DPM itself. Additionally, Windows Vista adds a whole host of challenges to any networked environment, which are not related to TRAKnet DPM in any way. We can get Vista to go, but you'll spend more time and money fixing Vista issues than it will cost to upgrade to Windows 7 Professional from the start.

WHY CAN'T I BUY MY COMPUTERS AT COSTCO?

Be careful to avoid comparing apples to oranges. Biomedix recommends certain hardware requirements to run their software. Clickhereto see those requirements. However, just meeting the minimum requirements should not be the goal. You want to exceed the minimum requirements so the money you spend today on hardware will not need to be spent again in a year and a half. Additionally, most computers you buy in retail stores come preloaded with a ton of junk software that you never use but that slows the PC down. A clean install of Windows 7 on a Dell Vostro that comes with no preinstalled software runs substantially faster than a unit purchased from your local retailer with the same hardware but with tons of junk software installed. Also, you will be hard pressed to find the correct operating system in a retail store. Windows home versions lack many of the required components that come with Windows professional versions, which are necessary for your network setup. For the most part, retail stores only sell home versions of Windows preinstalled on their computers.

IS IT BETTER TO HAVE A LAPTOP TO TAKE FROM ROOM TO ROOM OR A DESKTOP IN EACH ROOM

This is a matter of preference more than anything. Yes, the choice to go with one laptop will save you money up front, but most doctors that I have worked with and that go with a single laptop setup eventually wind up with desktops in each observation room. You will most likely get tired of moving from room to room with a laptop or entering a room and talking to a patient only to realize you have to retrieve the laptop from another room. The single laptop setup is a great idea to save some money up front and a laptop is essential for working from nursing homes or from home, but in the end, most doctors prefer a desktop in each observation room.

ARE TABLET PC'S BETTER THAN LAPTOPS?

This is more a matter of choice than a technology question. I have a tablet PC that I bring everywhere, however I usually wind up using it as a laptop and not a tablet. There is no doubt all tablet PC's that meet the minimum hardware requirements will work with TRAKnet DPM, but ultimately it will be up to each doctor to determine whether or not they feel proficient enough to use a tablet PC. I have had a handful of doctors try tablet PC's but none of them has used the tablet PC consistently. However, that's a small sample of all doctors that use TRAKnet DPM. You may prefer a tablet PC.

CAN I USE AN OLD LAPTOP I HAVE IN MY CLOSET?

You can purchase brand new hardware that is not capable of running TRAKnet DPM, yet some older hardware will run it fine. If you usually shop by price and buy entry level hardware, you will have a serious problem trying to run a program as advanced as TRAKnet DPM on any hardware including a brand new machine. However, generally speaking, hardware that is within a few years old may run TRAKnet DPM with a few upgrades. Usually a memory upgrade and an upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 will suffice. If your unit is older than four years it may run TRAKnet DPM, but it will not run it well. If you have hardware you would like to use, but are unsure of, we can take a look at that during our free site survey and let you know what you need to do, if anything, to use it in the TRAKnet DPM environment.

CAN I USE TRAKnet DPM IN A NURSING HOME?

Absolutely. One of the features that impresses me about TRAKnet DPM is 'offline mode'. Offline mode gives you the ability to go offline and take a copy of the TRAKnet DPM database with you. What separates TRAKnet DPM from any other software application that I have ever seen is that the offline mode works very well. For starters, it appends, not overwrites the database when you synchronize your changes and synchronization actually works! The key difference between appending and overwriting is best explained in this scenario. You are about to go to a nursing home, so you go offline with TRAKnet DPM and take a copy of the database with you. While at the nursing home, your staff schedule some appointments, which makes changes to the database at the office. You return to the office and synchronize the changes you made at the nursing home with your main TRAKnet DPM database. When the synchronization is complete, you can see the appointments your staff made and they can see the changes you made at the nursing home. No data is lost, nothing is overwritten. Now, I have seen programs with similar synchronization feature in the past, but seldom have I seen it work so well or with so little issue. Biomedix did a great job with this feature and it works very well.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE?

After TRAKnet DPM is up and running, New Jersey Computers will always be around to help you maintain your systems and network. We offer routine maintenance plans and data backup validation services to reduce the risk of disaster and to ensure your data is safe in the event that disaster should strike. You can also call us on an 'as needed' basis should any emergency arise. Biomedix offers support contracts, which cover you for TRAKnet DPM specific issues and they also offer a variety of training solutions. Between New Jersey Computers support of your hardware and network and Biomedix support of your TRAKnet DPM software, you couldn't be in better hands and will never feel abandoned or alone.

WHAT KIND OF BACKUP SOLUTION DO YOU RECOMMEND?

OK, I admit it, I snuck this question in the FAQ. I am shocked at how few clients ever mention the word 'backup'. It seems that the only people that even think of a backup solution are those who have already lost data at some point and swear it will never happen again. Therefore, I am submitting this question because it should be asked every time! I recommend everything available and within your budget. If I could rent a server in Fort Knox, I would. There is no component of your technology infrastructure more important than your data. I have seen grown men cry and businesses shut down never to reopen again due to the loss of data. As I write this FAQ, a client of mine had his office burn to the ground this week (7/7/10) and we are still attempting to recover data from the tapes that were in his fireproof safe. The fire originated in an adjoining office, but it completely destroyed all units in the building. Unfortunately, this client did not feel the need to go with the offsite backup that we recommended. I can also refer you to one of my clients, a podiatrist, who spent over $4,000 in an attempt retrieve data from a failed laptop hard drive. After the $4,000 non-refundable investment, he was advised that no data could be recovered. I have always recommended a multi-tier approach to data backup that starts with redundant disk on the server, includes a top notch third party backup software solution, external hard drives for easy offsite backup, backing up of the TRAKnet DPM database to a USB thumb drive and also over through the internet to our secure server. Redundancy of your data is the safest approach. There is no worse feeling on earth than going to a backup tape when you need it, only to find out that the data or the tape is no good.