Guest guest Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 A free EMR is an Interesting concept. However, if they're going to stay in business they're going to charge you or someone else for the services that support it and presumably the upgrades down the line. I don't think this is a long term sustainable business model and I wouldn't commit the hours of data entry needed with an EMR on it. I think you risk having a company like this shut down leaving your data hostage. Early adopters got burnt on several products with this type of business model. Better to go with an EMR product with a proven track record and an affordable cost. Ben Free EMR Has anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMR http://synapsedirec t.com .. .. Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 In general, I agree with Ben that there is " no free lunch " and you often get what you pay for. I would remind everyone that having your data held hostage can apply whether the EMR is free or costs a lot, as some people on this listserve have unfortunately experienced. I found this interview with Dr. Graham Chiu, the developer of SynapseDirect, who discusses why he would give away his product. Of course, his New Zealand-based company also has Premium and ASP versions of his EMR for which he charges so perhaps this is how he makes money off this. http://www.emrupdate.com/blogs/emrinterviews/archive/2006/07/18/Synpase-EMR-Expr\ ess-_2D00_-Interview-with-Dr.-Graham-Chiu.aspx Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Seto South Pasadena, CA A free EMR is an Interesting concept. However, if they're going to stay in business they're going to charge you or someone else for the services that support it and presumably the upgrades down the line. I don't think this is a long term sustainable business model and I wouldn't commit the hours of data entry needed with an EMR on it. I think you risk having a company like this shut down leaving your data hostage. Early adopters got burnt on several products with this type of business model. Better to go with an EMR product with a proven track record and an affordable cost. Ben Free EMR Has anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMR http://synapsedirect.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 Thanks for the link . Sounds like these folks deserve the benefit of the doubt. Lets take it for a test drive. Ben [Practiceimprovemen t1] Free EMRHas anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMRhttp://synapsedirec t.com Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 Tkfp is completely free with no hidden strings. It uses a flat file database, so data doesn't have to be retrieved from a database program, and data isn't held hostage. It was developed by (with contributions from others) simply because he wanted it to work and solicits help and/or ideas from others to make it better. I think that is generally the spirit of this listserv. True, working on Tkfp requires thought, some computer expertice, and does have a learning curve. I certainly understand paying for development and support as a good use of funds in many cases. However, as has pointed out in previous posts, this is a listserv that has a fair number of folks who aren't afraid of " doing it themselves " , (well, I think rather dedicated to " doing it themselves " ), so I will simply point out that as soon as you depend on somebody else's program that is not open source, you are at their mercy. Jerry > > A free EMR is an Interesting concept. However, if they're going to stay in business they're going to charge you or someone else for the services that support it and presumably the upgrades down the line. I don't think this is a long term sustainable business model and I wouldn't commit the hours of data entry needed with an EMR on it. I think you risk having a company like this shut down leaving your data hostage. Early adopters got burnt on several products with this type of business model. Better to go with an EMR product with a proven track record and an affordable cost. > > Ben > [Practiceimprovemen t1] Free EMR > > Has anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMR > http://synapsedirec t.com > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 I downloaded an earlier version of the synapse EMR and I was very impressed with it. I believe that while Dr. Chiu is offering paid service and support for those that want it, he is also serious about his desire to offer it for free for those who do not need or want that service. He has both an ASP model, and a model where you run your own server and database and thus control your own data. The price of admission is your investment of your time to learn about the system. If it takes off, and an on-line user community develops around it, then you will be able to get support from other users when you have a question or problem, and won't need much paid support, it would be similar to how this list works for general questions about setting up an IMP office, just more focused on the technical details of an EMR. Once he gives you the program, and you are running it on your own server, there is really not an easy way they could take that away from you. Even if the original developer stops working on it, if there is a substantial community of users, it will take on a life of it's own and the user community can help perpetuate it and maintain it even if the original developer goes kaput. The one thing I would ask about Synapse that I did not get an answer for is: To be truly " open source " , he would need to release the original " source code " or the computer code he used to actually write the program so that other developers and programmers could review it and modify it. I am not sure he has actually done that, but I may be wrong. However I did not see that stated on their website. Caldwell -- In , Ben Brewer wrote: > > Thanks for the link . Sounds like these folks deserve the benefit of the doubt. Lets take it for a test drive. > Ben > > > [Practiceimprovemen t1] Free EMR > > Has anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMR > http://synapsedirec t.com > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ _________________________ > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 I am opening sometime next year...maybe March. I am not certain how it will all work out but I intend to keep my over head to the barest minimum until the dollars start rolling in. so here is my plan Free website .....Microsoft office live Free EMR....synapseEMR Free appointment scheduling software....acuity innovations Free registration software......zoho Free Instant medical history....Formedic I am looking for free office space and am all set.lolalcald3000 wrote: I downloaded an earlier version of the synapse EMR and I wasvery impressed with it. I believe that while Dr. Chiu is offering paid service and support for those that want it, he is also serious about his desire to offer it for free for those who do not need or want that service. He has both an ASP model, and a model where you run your own server and database and thus control your own data. The price of admission is your investment of your time to learn about the system. If it takes off, and an on-line user community develops around it, then you will be able to get support from other users when you have a question or problem, and won't need much paid support, it would be similar to how this list works for general questions about setting up an IMP office, just more focused on the technical details of an EMR. Once he gives you the program, and you are running it on your own server, there is really not an easy way they could take that away from you. Even if the original developer stops working on it, if there is a substantial community of users, it will take on a life of it's own and the user community can help perpetuate it and maintain it even if the original developer goes kaput. The one thing I would ask about Synapse that I did not get an answer for is: To be truly "open source", he would need to release the original "source code" or the computer code he used to actually write the program so that other developers and programmers could review it and modify it. I am not sure he has actually done that, but I may be wrong. However I did not see that stated on their website. Caldwell -- In , Ben Brewer wrote:>> Thanks for the link . Sounds like these folks deserve the benefit of the doubt. Lets take it for a test drive.> Ben> > > [Practiceimprovemen t1] Free EMR> > Has anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMR> http://synapsedirec t.com> > > > > > ___________________________________________________________________________________> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Hi All As the author of Synapse, I thought I should reply to this message as my first message on joining this group. Regarding Ben's concerns, everyone should have a disaster recovery plan for their business and this includes an exit strategy from their chosen EMR. Synapse uses an open source database called Firebird, and there is no password protection on the database files. You can use open source tools to examine the data and migrate to another database should you need to do so. The database schema can be easily grokked by anyone with some experience. Going with a known established EMR is no guarantee that you will be better off .. see Acermed, and DrNotes for examples. Is giving away a free EMR a viable business model? Well, there is no free lunch, and even free EMRs come with costs. Initially when I renamed from the early name of REMR about two years ago to Synapse, I was advised I should have a free express edition, and also a paid premium version with more features. However, although I agreed, and our website has these different references, I never actually got around to " crippling " the premium edition, and so the premium and express editions were always the same. I assumed that we could get enough support contracts or ASP users ( we host the database etc for them ) to pay for the free users, or the free users would either donate some time to contribute to the documentation or financially donate to development costs. This, however, has not been the case. We have had offers from users to contribute to the documentation but it almost never eventuates. I do not know why this is the case .. perhaps my users are not aware of the unofficial obligations one has when one uses free software. Ordinarily this would make one rethink the idea of free software, but I have been persuaded by my readings on Sermo and Docsboard, that there are many physicians eeking a marginal existence in the USA as well as all the ones in third world countries who could never afford to pay for a full featured EMR that I remain committed to leaving Synapse free ... for at least one license per server. In the meantime, as a physician also in a micro practice, I am committed to making Synapse the best EMR that I can for my own use. I have some new technologies that the other EMRs simply do not .. eg. automated filing of scanned documents using intelligent OCR. This option, and the patient portal, are the additional ways that we intend to generate some income to sustain the project as they are add on products we are selling. And I am currently working on ways to create forms out of PDFs so that I can " write " or " ink " to a PDF such as a CMS-1500 or other practice document. > > > > > > > I am opening sometime next year...maybe March. I am not certain how it will > all work out but I intend to keep my over head to the barest minimum until > the dollars start rolling in. so here is my plan > Free website .....Microsoft office live > Free EMR....synapseEMR > Free appointment scheduling software....acuity innovations > Free registration software......zoho > Free Instant medical history....Formedic > I am looking for free office space and am all set.lol > > alcald3000 wrote: > > > I downloaded an earlier version of the synapse EMR and I was > very impressed with it. I believe that while Dr. Chiu is offering paid > service and support for those that want it, he is also serious about his > desire to offer it for free for those who do not need or want that service. > He has both an ASP model, and a model where you run your own > server and database and thus control your own data. The price of > admission is your investment of your time to learn about the system. If > it takes off, and an on-line user community develops around it, then > you will be able to get support from other users when you have a > question or problem, and won't need much paid support, it would be > similar to how this list works for general questions about setting up an > IMP office, just more focused on the technical details of an EMR. Once > he gives you the program, and you are running it on your own server, > there is really not an easy way they could take that away from you. > Even if the original developer stops working on it, if there is a > substantial community of users, it will take on a life of it's own and the > user community can help perpetuate it and maintain it even if the > original developer goes kaput. The one thing I would ask about > Synapse that I did not get an answer for is: To be truly " open source " , > he would need to release the original " source code " or the computer > code he used to actually write the program so that other developers > and programmers could review it and modify it. I am not sure he has > actually done that, but I may be wrong. However I did not see that > stated on their website. > > Caldwell > > -- In , Ben Brewer > wrote: > > > > Thanks for the link . Sounds like these folks deserve the > benefit of the doubt. Lets take it for a test drive. > > Ben > > > > > > [Practiceimprovemen t1] Free EMR > > > > Has anybody tried synapsedirect? seems to be a free EMR > > http://synapsedirec t.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________________ > _________________________ > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > > > > > > > ________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it > now. -- Graham Chiu http://www.synapsedirect.com Synapse-EMR - innovative electronic medical records system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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