Don’t Lose Your Data—Back It Up

With two offices, our practice handles a lot of important digital information. When backup processes and hardware are working, it’s easy to take them for granted, but when a server or hard drive fails, you realize how much you depend on technology. Without reliable server backups, you could unexpectedly lose all of your data in just seconds.

I know this from experience. A few years ago, we were finishing work for the day when the server failed. Since we did manual backups at night, that entire day’s information was lost. I didn’t realize how much really happens in a day until then. Luckily, we were able to restore most of the data, but, it was extremely stressful for a couple of weeks as patients kept coming in at all the wrong times. That’s when I realized how important a redundant backup solution is, as well as how critical it is to choose the right company for data backup solutions.

Our practice’s backup* has evolved with technology over the years. Back in the days when we used floppy disks, I once checked the backup disk, and it was blank. For some time, my staff had been hitting the wrong button to save. If you use manual backups, your staff is truly your only line of defense. Because this is such an important responsibility, you may need ongoing training for staff—especially if they aren’t tech savvy—to ensure that they can do proper backups.

As you seek the best backup solution for your office, consider these key elements for the highest protection:

• A solution provided by a company that you can trust knows the unique challenges of data protection within the dental industry

• Automatic backups that mitigate or remove possible human error

• An easy way to create multiple backups; one locally in your office and another that is stored offsite

• A system that offers frequent backups throughout the day, preserving your data

• A service that provides data verification to ensure the data is not corrupted

Creating multiple backups can be a lot of work, and I’m sure most of us would prefer to focus on dentistry instead of dealing with technology headaches. However, we need to protect ourselves. Since our practice data is so valuable, it’s crucial that we understand the best and most reliable ways to back up and restore information the next time the server fails. It’s a matter of when—not if.

Henry Schein TechCentral, a leader in backup and recovery services, is now offering Hybrid Backup Services, a redundant, remotely managed backup and recovery solution for dental practices. To learn more about Henry Schein TechCentral, call 844.588.6590 or visit www.HSTechCentral.com/DataBackup.

*Dr. Paul Katz, DDS is not a spokesperson for Henry Schein TechCentral and may not exclusively use the TechCentral for IT and/or backup services. His experiences only serve as an example of the need for a redundant backup service within each dental practice.

Originally published in Sidekick Magazine.