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Understanding Basic Access and Connectivity

By Carol S. Miller; RN, MBA

To connect with an Internet service, the medical office will need a computer, modem, telephone line and software.  The modem, either external via a connection or internal via a built-in or slot card, takes the digital signals from your computer and converts them to analog signals that your phone line uses.  As a rule of thumb, the faster the better; therefore, the office should have at least a 56 bps or use a DSL line.

Accessing the Internet

To access the Internet, the office must obtain an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as America Online (AOL), Earthlink, ATT Worldnet, Microsoft Network Premiere (MSN), Hot Link, or others.  The cost varies on the plan selected but usually averages in the range of $10 to $25 per month.  In selecting an ISP, several guidelines need to be considered:

• The major online services often make it very easy to connect to the Internet, but may be more expensive;
• Many low-priced ISPs may have customer service that matches their prices;
• In selecting the ISP, make sure the provider has a toll-free or local support telephone line;
• For a nationwide directory list of ISP providers, go to the Internet site of www.isp.com.

Besides the POTS (plain old telephone service), the physician may wish to have a faster connection to the Internet.  Several options are available.

Cable Modems

Cable connection is very fast, providing a lot of bandwidth (the amount of information that can be sent through a particular communication channel).  As an example, in the time it takes to transfer a half page across a 56K connection, the cable connection can transfer over 25 pages.  As is suggested by the name, the local cable TV provider or community antennae TV (CATV) deliver this service.

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Filed under: Book Reviews, Career Development, Glossary Terms, Information Technology, Practice Management, Sponsors | Tagged: AOL, bandwidth, cable modems, carol s. miller, CATV, david marcinko, DSL, EHRs, EMRs, hope hetico, internet connectivity, ISPs, MSN, POTS | 1 Comment »