Polytech is designed to function either as a stand-alone LIS or as an integrated part of a larger healthcare information system. Medlink handles the distribution of data across the peers in the network, ensuring that resources on each PC are automatically updated and synchronized across the system. In a distributed network model, data is already protected, as is the functionality of the individual workstations, Lennox said. If a single machine fails, everyone else can continue to work, and the data is safe because it is replicated on all the machines. In a traditional network, a server failure would mean both downtime and data loss.
Distributed networks use less complex hardware and a simplified writing scheme.
Users of distributed networks can forget the headaches of redundant links to the server room and entire areas dedicated to housing servers and writing equipment. These advantages are critical in a lab where cost-effectiveness, data integrity, and system uptime are essential. Whether for a small private clinic or a larger hospital network, distributed network laboratory information management is a cost-efficient and productive advantage for any healthcare facility.