With summer storms, floods, power outages, and hurricanes season right around the corner, many practices are preparing to keep their offices running as smoothly as possible in the event of a disaster or computer failure. As healthcare practices begin annual preparations and plans, they work out strategies to stay online in network outages and prepare their team for emergencies. Having an established disaster recovery plan can help your office to feel more secure about your business's ability to overcome any adverse events, seasonal or otherwise.
A detailed disaster recovery plan will include an organized backup scheme and a method for data in the event of computer loss or destruction. In cases of computer failure, theft, natural disaster, or fire, it is highly recommended to have a Recovery Plan in place for re-establishing your database and getting MacPractice up and running. A Recovery Plan should be reviewed and practiced at least once a quarter to ensure that MacPractice can be downloaded and installed, that a valid backup can be accessed and restored, and that other computers and users can log in and access patient data.
For backups, MacPractice recommends creating a daily backup of MacPractice to the local hard drive or an external device. It is essential always to have a good backup to revert to if there is an emergency. Always store external backups in a secure location, such as a fireproof safe. Select a place that can be accessed if a backup is needed.
- Retain the backups on an external device. Retain at least one backup from the following periods:
- The last two business weeks or ten business days
- At the end of every month
- At the end of every quarter
- The end of the fiscal year
