Tech question about usage of Tablets in office

**jmchapman** · 06-25-2014, 10:17 AM

Alright so we are currently running Compulink in our office, and our Dr would like to use a tablet (windows) for our EHR software and go from room to room with it. Our software is basically hooked up to a server. So every computer has to be networked through ethernet cable to be able to view and see the software

What is the best way to do this? Anyone run into this problem? Can I mirror a PC to the tablet? HELP!

**EyeSore** · 06-25-2014, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by jmchapman

Alright so we are currently running Compulink in our office, and our Dr would like to use a tablet (windows) for our EHR software and go from room to room with it. Our software is basically hooked up to a server. So every computer has to be networked through ethernet cable to be able to view and see the software

What is the best way to do this? Anyone run into this problem? Can I mirror a PC to the tablet? HELP!

Do you have a wireless router in your office ? If so I'd say you shouldn't have much of a problem with a connection.

**jmchapman** · 06-25-2014, 11:26 AM

I do have a wireless router, but the server that holds our software isn't connected to it.

**fjpod** · 06-25-2014, 11:54 AM

not bragging, but I've got a lot of experience running a network with about 25 users. Wireless is not going to work well in an office setting. It is not fast enough, and not reliable enough. Put a desktop, wired with category 5e or 6 ethernet in each room and be done with it.

Tablets are slower, more expensive, easier to break, likely to develop run down batteries, difficult to enter detailed examination data on...etc.

Get wired desktops (not even laptops IMHO) and be done with it.

No charge for the advice.

**jmchapman** · 06-25-2014, 12:04 PM

I appreciate the knowledge fjpod

**EyeCare1** · 06-25-2014, 12:07 PM

With a windows based tablet, you could probably mirror the computer. But I don't see why you'd want to. It's faster and easier to just a have a desktop computer in every room.

**drk** · 06-25-2014, 12:22 PM

Good advice, fjp. You sound like you know what you're talking about.

We do the same, and it's stable, if unsexy.

**drways** · 06-25-2014, 12:34 PM

Talk to Compulink, V11 of eyecare advantage has tablet support I do not have the software in our office yet but I've watched so of the videos and shows it working. V11 is on a limited general release right now, the first people who are getting it are those who were unable to EHR certify for 2013, with if I remember the last email correctly full general release mid-July to August.

**Wink Software** · 06-25-2014, 05:43 PM

Get yourself a windows tablet. It will work the same way a Windows PC works. Having said that, not all software is "optimised" for the tablet environment. So caveat emptor.

**Java99** · 06-25-2014, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by EyeCare1

With a windows based tablet, you could probably mirror the computer. But I don't see why you'd want to. It's faster and easier to just a have a desktop computer in every room.

We have an iPad that mirrors a back office computer that we can use as a last resort when all the point of sale computers are in use and we need another one. It's slow, the input fields are too small in the tablet environment, and someone has to really have their pants on fire for one of us to resort to that. It takes over seven minutes to conduct a sale that way. Bad bad bad.

**MakeOptics** · 06-25-2014, 09:19 PM

I have yet to see any EHR system available that would max out thorough put of a WiFi router. If speed really is a concern go 802.11ac. As for tablets currently EHRs are not necessarily optimized for tablets but with a stylus and voice recognition you'll quickly overcome the limitations and be ready for the next wave in office tech. I would highly consider a tablet windows for now, stay away from iPads nice for the dispensary because they're simple devices but not enterprise ready and unlikely that many EHRs are going to provide complete functionality for them.

Make sure that you have some serious security on your WiFi, no outsiders should be allowed to connect, change the name of the router from default to avoid giving away models and opening yourself to firmware exploits. Make sure to have a good randomly generated password, check the MAC addresses on connections, turn off all but necessary ports, and to provide the ultimate in security you could repaint the office with paint that prevents stray signals from leaking from your building. Good luck.

**rbaker** · 06-25-2014, 11:24 PM

I just returned home from three separate hospital admissions of 22 days. I spent time in the ER, ICU , CICU, imaging, surgery and rehab. About the only area that I did not spend time in was pediatrics. I did not see a single tablet in use in any hospital location just a million networked PC's.

The only tablet device that I have seen is the visiting nurse and she hates the thing.

**Craig** · 06-26-2014, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by rbaker

I just returned home from three separate hospital admissions of 22 days. I spent time in the ER, ICU , CICU, imaging, surgery and rehab. About the only area that I did not spend time in was pediatrics. I did not see a single tablet in use in any hospital location just a million networked PC's.

The only tablet device that I have seen is the visiting nurse and she hates the thing.

Now that is a heck of a way to see if the medical world is using tablets!

Hope you are mending but it takes a full 6 months to heal up; I was a sick puppy last year and would not wish that on anyone.

Heal well and breathe deep to enjoy the air.

Craig

**DanLiv** · 06-26-2014, 09:55 AM

I've tried Splashtop remote desktop software to virtualize Officemate on an ipad. Speed is of no issue, any N wi-fi is more than adequate speed (AC isn't even available on ipad, and that still wouldn't alleviate the bane of all wi-fi which is interference and latency), and I wasn't just transferring data I was running full desktop virtualization over office wifi and it was smooth. Tech isn't the issue. As Java99 said it's the interface; tablets displays are just too small for desktop class office software (why the makers of our desktop class office software have not yet made full-fledged companion apps for exactly the uses we are discussing, I don't know). I was constantly pinching and zooming and moving the screen around, very cumbersome.

But I am going to try again, this time with a Surface 3. 1) much bigger display with very high resolution, 2) full Windows 8 so will run my office and EHR software natively, no virtualization, 3) excellent stylus input to alleviate my fat-finger-syndrome. A well-designed screen-optimized tablet app that hooks into your software server would still be better, but the Surface 3 is the best possibility yet for true tablet office work. Now I just gotta convince the doc to buy it...

**jmchapman** · 06-26-2014, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Java99

We have an iPad that mirrors a back office computer that we can use as a last resort when all the point of sale computers are in use and we need another one. It's slow, the input fields are too small in the tablet environment, and someone has to really have their pants on fire for one of us to resort to that. It takes over seven minutes to conduct a sale that way. Bad bad bad.

Thanks for the info, I was worried the mirroring/remote desktop thing would be slow

**jmchapman** · 06-26-2014, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by DanLiv

I've tried Splashtop remote desktop software to virtualize Officemate on an ipad. Speed is of no issue, any N wi-fi is more than adequate speed (AC isn't even available on ipad, and that still wouldn't alleviate the bane of all wi-fi which is interference and latency), and I wasn't just transferring data I was running full desktop virtualization over office wifi and it was smooth. Tech isn't the issue. As Java99 said it's the interface; tablets displays are just too small for desktop class office software (why the makers of our desktop class office software have not yet made full-fledged companion apps for exactly the uses we are discussing, I don't know). I was constantly pinching and zooming and moving the screen around, very cumbersome.

But I am going to try again, this time with a Surface 3. 1) much bigger display with very high resolution, 2) full Windows 8 so will run my office and EHR software natively, no virtualization, 3) excellent stylus input to alleviate my fat-finger-syndrome. A well-designed screen-optimized tablet app that hooks into your software server would still be better, but the Surface 3 is the best possibility yet for true tablet office work. Now I just gotta convince the doc to buy it...

Daniel, I'm leaning towards a Surface myself, seems like it's the best and easiest option. My problem is all of our data is on a server that isn't on a wireless connection. Basically all of our PCs are networked together to pull data from the server via ethernet. Is all your data through OfficeMate cloud based?

**fjpod** · 06-26-2014, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Java99

We have an iPad that mirrors a back office computer that we can use as a last resort when all the point of sale computers are in use and we need another one. It's slow, the input fields are too small in the tablet environment, and someone has to really have their pants on fire for one of us to resort to that. It takes over seven minutes to conduct a sale that way. Bad bad bad.

+1

**MakeOptics** · 06-26-2014, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by DanLiv

I've tried Splashtop remote desktop software to virtualize Officemate on an ipad. Speed is of no issue, any N wi-fi is more than adequate speed (AC isn't even available on ipad, and that still wouldn't alleviate the bane of all wi-fi which is interference and latency), and I wasn't just transferring data I was running full desktop virtualization over office wifi and it was smooth. Tech isn't the issue. As Java99 said it's the interface; tablets displays are just too small for desktop class office software (why the makers of our desktop class office software have not yet made full-fledged companion apps for exactly the uses we are discussing, I don't know). I was constantly pinching and zooming and moving the screen around, very cumbersome.

But I am going to try again, this time with a Surface 3. 1) much bigger display with very high resolution, 2) full Windows 8 so will run my office and EHR software natively, no virtualization, 3) excellent stylus input to alleviate my fat-finger-syndrome. A well-designed screen-optimized tablet app that hooks into your software server would still be better, but the Surface 3 is the best possibility yet for true tablet office work. Now I just gotta convince the doc to buy it...

Dan,

iPads can run from AC WiFi routers, AC is backwards compatible. I understand that the iPad would not fully appreciate the speed of an AC system but it would still make use of the n band. Virtualization is not the way to go when native support is here the surface tablets should provide a better interface, but like you I am waiting for the day the software vendors step up and provide a true tablet interface. The back end for MVE is MSSQL Server and so is Officemate so the tech is there to support web interfaces, app interfaces to the underlying database just need to wait for an implementation.

**MakeOptics** · 06-26-2014, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by jmchapman

Daniel, I'm leaning towards a Surface myself, seems like it's the best and easiest option. My problem is all of our data is on a server that isn't on a wireless connection. Basically all of our PCs are networked together to pull data from the server via ethernet. Is all your data through OfficeMate cloud based?

Your going to need a router or a really long CAT cord.

**fjpod** · 06-26-2014, 05:17 PM

Wifi is not reliable enough for loading scanned documents, photos, and OCTs from the instrument itself or from an EHR. No refracting equipment or lensometers that I know of will transfer data to your EMR by wifi. Those workstations will have to be Ethernet. It can't get the job done...in a timely manner. Electrical interference from fluorescent lighting, edger motors, and brick walls, is also an issue in our office. Entering data on a tablet is so much slower. And if you have to add a keyboard to make it faster, you might as well just have a desktop computer.

That said, I love my tablet...at home.

**9520g** · 06-27-2014, 10:27 AM

We wanted to run tablets in our office, OM is definitley not tablet friendly at all and needs a server. We have since switched to uprise by vision web. 100 percent cloud based and it was designed with touchscreens in mind. Best software for optical period.

**MakeOptics** · 06-27-2014, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by fjpod

Wifi is not reliable enough for loading scanned documents, photos, and OCTs from the instrument itself or from an EHR. No refracting equipment or lensometers that I know of will transfer data to your EMR by wifi. Those workstations will have to be Ethernet. It can't get the job done...in a timely manner. Electrical interference from fluorescent lighting, edger motors, and brick walls, is also an issue in our office. Entering data on a tablet is so much slower. And if you have to add a keyboard to make it faster, you might as well just have a desktop computer.

That said, I love my tablet...at home.

I hear what you're saying. Signals can be boosted with repeaters ad strategic placement of routers. Equipment interface still requires hardwired desktops, and servers should not be run from tablets.

Accessing dicom files from OCTs, VF, etc requires very little bandwidth. The tech is still young, with time these issues will be eliminated and sooner rather then later given the growth in tech.

Right now the biggest road block is touch enabled UI, that will only change with dialog and demand.

**fjpod** · 06-27-2014, 01:37 PM

repeaters are known for screwing up IP addresses...AND...they amplify the errors as well as the good data. We used one at one time. Threw the damn thing in the garbage after about a week of network crashes. Repeaters will work sometimes at home. Not in an environment with numerous users and a server or two, with mixed Ethernet and wifi users.

Maybe the big guys like Banks and large corporate offices can afford to make this technology work, with their millions of dollars and legions of IT guys. But the mid-sized office is better off sticking to the basics.

**MakeOptics** · 06-27-2014, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by fjpod

repeaters are known for screwing up IP addresses...AND...they amplify the errors as well as the good data. We used one at one time. Threw the damn thing in the garbage after about a week of network crashes. Repeaters will work sometimes at home. Not in an environment with numerous users and a server or two, with mixed Ethernet and wifi users.

Maybe the big guys like Banks and large corporate offices can afford to make this technology work, with their millions of dollars and legions of IT guys. But the mid-sized office is better off sticking to the basics.

If you are running a business you should invest in enterprise level hardware.

The cost of WiFi routers is low enough you can place on in each room if you want. Using Poe you dont even need an ac socket in the room.

For issues with interference I mentioned ac routers becaise most ac routers have dual band capabilities allowing for less interference on the 5 ghz band over the 2.4 ghz which shares the space with bluetooth, baby monitors, home phones, and wireless mice/keyboards. 2.4 ghz is problematic sometimes.

**opty4062** · 06-28-2014, 10:26 AM

We are implementing ipads for the techs and doctors in the coming weeks. Right now we are practicing on customizing/using the software with the sandbox on them. Each tech and each doc will have one and the optical and front desk will use the desktop versions of the program. So far the hardest part has been getting everyone on board to watch the training videos and learn to use them. I have a sinking feeling when we go live it will be a hot mess but mostly because of lack of staff preparedness than the actual program.