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Computer technology continues to evolve which in turn has created new tools. A&L Document Console can save you time, space, and money, while giving you complete control of all your files. Whether you use it to simply store files or move towards a paperless office, the choice is yours.

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NOTE: Microsoft ends support for Windows 98, Windows 98SE and Windows Me (Millenium)
Termed as “end of life” by Microsoft; support officially ended back on July 11, 2006 for Windows 98, 98SE and ME (Millennium), from Microsoft. Using these Operating Systems, after this date, can expose your system to security risks.

For improved security, richer functionality, and increased productivity upgrade to Windows XP / Windows Vista (32-bit) or Windows 7 (32-bit)
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx

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While we may focus in on the after effects of information theft, we often don’t give much thought to the sequence of events that allowed it to occur in the first place. Reviewing PIPEDA, the federal governments new Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, one becomes aware of how much this law will change the way many practices manage personal information in their care. Among a host of other requirements, safeguards must be in place to protect personal data against loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, regardless of the format in which it is held. PIPEDA’s key element is to build consumer and business assurance in the knowledge based economy.

However, deception or misrepresentation can take place in the form of information provided under the guise of a legitimate organization. Take time to read e-mails, faxes, letters and information provided to you; ensuring that they are from a genuine business and/or person. One of the best weapons against identity theft is education. On our website you can learn more about internet and e-mail based scams. Phishing, for example, is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to defraud the user into surrendering private information that is used for identity theft. Do your utmost to protect your identity!  Your personal information needs to be protected.

Reaching the next major milestone in virtualization development, Microsoft today made broadly available a feature-complete release candidate of Microsoft Hyper-V, the hypervisor-based virtualization software available with various versions of Windows Server 2008. A beta of Hyper-V was included with Windows Server 2008 when it launched last month, and this release candidate provides updated, near-final code.

Hyper-V provides customers with efficient and cost-effective virtualization infrastructure software. It enables customers to reduce operating costs by increasing hardware utilization, optimizing infrastructure and improving server availability.

Looking for information about Windows Server 2008? Click here

Every document is scanned into the Windows based filing system and can be identified by name, title, category or record number. It provides a new way of filing and a new way to handle your filing procedures. It will revolutionize your office. With computer access to all your documents, paper intensive functions are a thing of the past. Electronic routing of all records and documents is the future, available today. It will save you time, effort and space, while putting you in complete control of your filing system.

All documents can be retrieved in seconds and printed in moments (if needed). No more filing cabinets and no more searches for misplaced files. With the Document Console you will reduce your filing cabinet requirements by up to 95%, while still keeping all of your documents at your finger tips.

Using Document Console will not only free your staff from filing and pulling documents, it means your records will be more complete, requiring less time to maintain. At the same time it dramatically improves security procedures by restricting access to certain information by means of password protected processes that have various levels of security. This protects record details from unauthorized access and accidental disclosure. And by preventing files from becoming lost or misplaced, it further tightens the security of all your records and documents.

 •            Windows Vista Home Basic

•             Windows Vista Home Premium

•             Windows Vista Business

•             Windows Vista Ultimate

The primary objective has been to improve the state of security in the operating system. One common criticism has been their security vulnerabilities, susceptibility to malware and viruses. To prevent malicious programs from silently installing, Microsoft developed the UAC (User Account Control) feature for Vista, with the hopes of boosting its profile as a security minded Operating System.

In terms of a learning curve, just as when Windows 95 ushered in a new look and feel, Vista also changes much of the appearance and functionality of the system. Unfortunately, some of these enhancements have been Vista’s Achilles ‘heel; along with the fact that many hardware manufacturers were not ready with available drivers for Vista. Reports of problems with network speed, compatibility, and other issues prompted the usual slew of updates and patches. Microsoft announced that it is already preparing a Vista Service Pack 1 beta, only approximately 6 months after the initially releasing Vista. Although Microsoft generally delivers vast improvements via service packs, Microsoft is telling customers not to wait for Vista SP1. However with the sheer volume of additions and fixes even the experts are pondering.

Its predecessor, Windows XP, has over time become a dependable and generally stable Operating System, since the installment of Service Pack 2 (SP2). With Microsoft Vista, eventually more drivers and fixes will become available; making Vista a stable OS. Even though Vista is a vastly improved security oriented OS, only time will tell if Vista becomes the XP of the future or the ‘Millennium Edition’ of the past.

Benefits listed are as follows:

• Documents always look exactly the same

• Documents can be distributed worldwide for almost zero cost and then be digitally printed.

• Documents can be magnified by up to 1600%, without diminishing the quality.

• The documents can be navigated by keyword search, table of contents or hyperlinks.

• The format is ideal for presentations, since PDF documents always look exactly the same on all platforms.

• The file format is very compact, so files can be sent quickly to recipients.

• Ideal for archiving, since the look and feel of documents is retained and the document size is compact

• The file format is essential for business documents like agreements and forms that must retain their exact appearance for legal reasons.

Sharing across Platforms

A PDF File is a document format that represents a document in a manner independent of the hardware, operating system and application software used to create the document. It was designed to enable documents to be transferred and shared across computer platforms. A PDF document created in one platform such as Windows can be read in another platform such as Macintosh or Unix. All these advantages translate into faster, cheaper and less complex documents, improving workflow throughout the your office or business.

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"For more than three years we have enjoyed the luxury of having an office with no filing cabinets bulging with patient charts, files and documents. Yet we still have all patient information at our fingertips – or more accurately, at just a few clicks of our computer mouse.” – Dr. Rose Kung

The Headache

I operate a busy ob/gyn practice at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. As my practice grew, the storage and retrieval of patient charts along with all the associated examination documents became a burdensome task, not to mention the cost of filing cabinets, file folders and my assistant’s time taken to access and file the relevant material for each patient’s visit.

Also, it was not uncommon for an occasional document to be misplaced or misfiled, resulting in additional time being needed to locate the missing material.

Since we were already using computers in the office to handle such administrative tasks as our billing procedures I began to consider whether a computer could also be used to speed up the process of storing, accessing and archiving all data in our patient files. ... Thus, we were introduced to A&L’s Document Console.

The A&L Solution

It has since proven to be a good decision. Our office efficiency has improved and there have been no adverse effects on patient care. In addition, I am happy to say that a further important benefit has been an improvement financially. For the number of patients I service, I would need two large filing cabinets to store their charts and documents in the traditional manner. With the document imaging system I have no need for filing cabinets. I also save costly floor space. Likewise, there are no hanging files or file folders to purchase. The cost saving thus realized paid for the A&L Document Console software.

I can understand a physician’s reluctance to destroy hard copy patient documents. I also experienced this trepidation. But over a period of time, the reliability of the system convinced me that it was no longer necessary to save them. After all, this would defeat the purpose of having the system in the first place. Of course, our database is backed up every day by the hospital’s Information Technology department; so if something does happen to our computer system we always have a copy of our files from which the database can be easily recreated. Now our hard copy documents are regularly sent for shredding every two weeks or so...

Security of patient information is not an issue since password protection is provided by the system. Also, different types of access capabilities can be assigned to staff at the time their passwords are established.

Another advantage the system provides is the ability to send copies of patient documents to another physician anywhere in the world, directly from my computer, as long as that physician has the capability to receive information electronically. This can be done by fax or by an e-mail attachment and avoids the necessity of having to make a hard copy of a document as well as the expense incurred in mailing it. In the same manner, electronic documents can be received from other sources and easily attached to a patient’s file in my database...

The Conclusion

All in all we find the convenience and time saved by using this system to be a great advantage to our office operations. It also presents an efficient way to archive inactive patient files, and in my type of practice they are in the majority. After having used this system for over three years now, I would not want to return to the manual method for storing patient charts and files.

To find out more about the Document Console click here

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition enhances productivity by delivering deep pen-and-ink integration. You can share your ink documents with others—even if they are not using a Tablet PC.

Significant improvements to word and case recognition in Tablet PC Input Panel include a dynamic ink-to-text conversion process and the option to make corrections before you insert text. Using an ‘electronic’ pen to annotate over a document or template and save the file with your own handwriting, truly enhancing your paperless office solution. Let us show you how A&L Document Console, in conjunction with XP Tablet Edition, can improve your office or business workflow.

A&L Document Console

Recording the image is a relatively easy step. The key however is retrieval. Once the data is stored, how do we get them back? From a software standpoint, however, you need a system that accurately indexes each piece of paper or data stored.

Some points to remember on good features for a Document Management application.

1. Robust database on which to conduct retrieval / searches
2. An alternate storage method that replaces paper and microfilm
3. Ease of use
4. Built in security levels to limit access within your organization
5. Ability to have software data encrypted so that no one from outside the system can access
6. Can integrate into existing system/network
7. Notes can be attached to any of the imaged documents to better know what they are for
8. The data is portable to any storage medium

General cost justification for a business

CD/DVD can hold up to 1 full filing cabinet:

- Save on cost of file cabinets
- Save on floor space

Labor saving:

- Speed of retrieval greatly enhanced
- Negates moving overly heavy boxes
- No refilling of documents
- No searching for lost documents
- Reduces number of people needed to “file paper”

Security:

- No lost documents
- Duplicate CD/DVD or other media can act as a backup and be stored off site

Eliminates Paper:

- Printing multiple copies unnecessary - Access can be shared
- Copies can be faxed or emailed directly from the computer
- You can cross search in seconds

Storage Space:

- Use space for productive money making area
- All data in one location

Click here if you are looking for an Electronic Document Management Software solution

Computer Viruses

A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Even a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.

Hacker / Hacking

Hackers have an ability to bypass or override password protection and other security strategies. Hackers often work at a distance from their target computers by abusing the facilities of the internet for the purpose of gaining unauthorized access to steal and/or corrupt data.

Spyware

Spyware is software that covertly gathers information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits information in the background to someone else.

Malware

Short for malicious software, software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus or a Trojan horse.

Worms

A worm is a program or algorithm that replicates itself over a computer network and performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting the system down.

Trojans

A Trojan is a benign destructive program that hides as an application. One of the most dangerous types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your PC.

Phishing

The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to defraud the user into surrendering private information that is used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit an illegitimate Web site where they are asked to update personal information that the legitimate organization already has. The bogus Web site, however, is set up solely to steal the user’s information.

An unwanted computer virus, and/or PC problem can harm hardware, software and productivity. Learning how to browse the web safely, keeping informed and protected is always the best policy.

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Note: All issues from the year 2000 are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

On interviewing the staff and observing what was happening at the front desk, I realized that the main culprit here was a badly managed record system rather than poor telephone management. Charts were often not where they should be – in the filing system. Completed chats sat in piles in the reception area waiting to be filed. Doctors took charts home with them to write progress notes, or left them in any one of a dozen different places within the office. Thus, when a phone call generated the need to find information from a chart, the phone lines were tied up as the staff put the caller on hold to search for the chart. Staff spent an unacceptable portion of each day hunting for charts when they should have been completing other work, and doctors’ time was wasted as they often had to delay returning telephone calls – or even seeing patients – until a chart had been found. General inefficiency pervaded every area of office productivity, and in nearly every instance this could be traced back at some level to poor chart management. I always recommend that no chart should be out of the system for more than twenty-four hours whether they have been completed or not. Physicians should get into the habit of writing or dictating their progress notes at the end of each patient visit. Not only does this help get the chart back into the system, but it takes a lot less time to write notes when the information is still fresh than it does to write notes after seeing dozens of patients. Doctors should never remove a chart from the office to complete at home without a proper tracking system in place to ensure that the whereabouts of the chart are known to staff.

Staff, too, must take their share of responsibility for ensuring charts are where they should be – in the filing system – and abide by the ‘twenty-four hour rule’ to return them. If the chart isn’t completed at the end of the day (e.g. an insurance for or medical/legal letter is needed) the chart should still be returned to its proper place on the shelf or in the cabinet, with a log kept up to date of work that has yet to be done. I have visited hundred of offices over the past 25 years as a Practice Management Consultant and unfortunately have found that there are still far too many physicians and staff who don’t afford the proper degree of importance to their charts and filing systems. Patient charts should be considered the heart of a practice, and without a high level of efficiency in this area overall office productivity suffers, and doctors are unable to provide consistently excellent patient care.

(This article first appeared in The Practice Manager, a newsletter published by Don Price & Associates.)

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Click here if you are looking for an Electronic Document Management Software solution

Note: All issues from the year 2000 are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

With the computer, the public domain can be a two way street which can also be accessed through your computer if you have access to the Internet. As most of you know, “www”, stands for “World Wide Web”. You can surf the web and look for just about any information you wish. However, an astute computer “intruder” can send out signals, similar to sonar, and if they get signals back, that’s a hint that somebody out there may not be properly protected. This “intruder” may then try a number of ways to force their way into your computer and see what’s available. That’s why there are a number of companies that produce security software and peripheral hardware to prevent it. Anti-virus “Suite” programs may now include firewalls and other protectants like spam filters, incoming/outgoing e-mail scans, and script blocking. As technology forges ahead, everyone will get caught up in it’s crest and be forced to move along especially if one of the leaders like Microsoft moves forward. Working in conjunction with other leaders in the software and hardware industries, companies are constantly looking to improve their products. Security with Microsoft is no different.

Click here to read the full article in publication

Click here to view other Softwords publications

Note: All issues from the year 2000 are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

When it comes to your PC or Network, you need to ask yourself the following questions.

- Would you like to have yourself, organization or business responsible for cyber-crime, without you knowing?
- Would you like to be prosecuted for something you did not do?
- Would you like to be sued for privacy violations?
- Would you like to be the base of operations for major crime?
- Would you like to become another survey statistics?
- Would you like to loose clients due to lack of public confidence in your Information Technology system?
- Would you like to be the VICTIM?

So how are criminals committing the crimes? We have listed some of the tools of the trade below.

•Wireless networking technology poses the biggest problem, as an unsecured network can be hacked from someone outside using a simple radio antenna, PDA or cell phone.

•Password Crackers (Software designed to decrypt passwords, so they can gain access)

•Network Scanning software that looks for open ports to gain access to a network (software or hardware based)

•Illegitimate Websites (fake URLs), to lure you into giving information over the web or even hack an un-patched (updated) system

•Spam is used to get email lists to possibly cause more damage

•Phishing is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to defraud the user into surrendering private information that is used for identity theft.

One may ask what are general reasons, for hacking, by cyber-criminals? Some are to gathering trophies, financial rewards, revenge, protest, criminal activity, identity theft, forging documents and just plain general mischief.

In the same fashion, computer viruses that can generate havoc on your PC system are just as criminal. Viruses can cost companies millions and dollars in time to repair an infected system. Recently, Microsoft went as far as to post a $250,000 bounty for the writers of the MSBlast worm and the SoBig.F virus. Organizations such as Interpol now have sections of their website devoted to cyber-crime, with other websites such as the IFCC “Internet Fraud Complaint Center” specializing in Internet Crime.

Hopefully, the information provided above will aid in protecting your PC from unwanted computer viruses, and PC problems that can harm hardware, software and productivity. The bottom line is that if you have a virus or if your computer has been hacked, you are no longer in control of your PC. If viruses, hackers or criminals destroy nothing else, they destroy your confidence in your PC or network, which is something that is quite valuable. Hopefully, the information provided above will aid in protecting your PC from unwanted computer viruses, and PC problems that can harm hardware, software and productivity. The bottom line is that if you have a virus or if your computer has been hacked, you are no longer in control of your PC. If viruses, hackers or criminals destroy nothing else, they destroy your confidence in your PC or network, which is something that is quite valuable.

Click here to view other Softwords publications

Note: All issues from the year 2000 are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.