An eye exam produces pictures. Retinal images, corneal scans and visual field results all land on a computer somewhere, and they have to be saved, backed up and available when the patient comes back next year. For an optometry or ophthalmology office, that makes IT support for eye care practices a different job from supporting an ordinary small office.
Zippie IT, a veteran-owned company in Meridian, Idaho, supports optometrists, ophthalmologists and optical shops across the Treasure Valley.
The equipment is the hard part
An exam lane may include an autorefractor, a retinal camera, an OCT scanner, a visual field analyzer and a slit lamp with a camera. Each connects to the network in its own way, and each vendor has its own software and update schedule. When one stops sending images to the record, the cause could be the device, the network, the server or a setting nobody has touched in five years.
We keep a map of what connects to what, make sure the devices have a reliable network and storage, and work with your equipment vendors when the problem is on their side. We also plan for the day an old exam computer needs replacing before the device attached to it stops being supported.
Images are big and they have to last
Imaging files add up quickly. Practices that save everything on one office computer are one failed drive from losing years of patient images. We set up backups that cover the images and the practice-management database, keep a copy away from the office and test that a restore works.
IT support for eye care practices: the exam room and the optical shop
Many practices run a medical office and a retail optical dispensary together. The dispensary takes card payments and orders frames and lenses online, and the exam side handles patient records. We keep those two sides on separate parts of the network, so a problem at the optical counter does not reach the patient records, and we support the point-of-sale system and lab ordering portals on the retail side.
HIPAA, in plain terms
Scans, retinal photographs, prescriptions and insurance claims all count as protected health information. HIPAA’s Security Rule asks a practice to protect that data and to keep its risk analysis in writing. We carry out a HIPAA security risk assessment built around the way an eye care office works, then help you close the gaps. Where the rules require one, we will sign a business associate agreement. Legal advice and certification are not part of what we do.
Front desk, phones and recalls
The front desk depends on scheduling software, insurance eligibility checks, a phone system and the reminders that bring patients back. We support the workstations, printers and phones there and keep sign-in protected. A recall system that stops without anyone noticing is a quiet loss of revenue.
Get started
For IT support for eye care practices that understands your equipment, start with a free network and security review. We map the devices in your exam lanes, check how images are stored and backed up and send a written report you can act on. To ask a question first, contact us or call (208) 810-1795, and leave patient details out of the message. Ongoing help is described on our healthcare IT page.
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Frequently asked questions
What does IT support for eye care practices include?
Support for staff and workstations, the network behind your imaging equipment, backups for images and records, security for the front desk and optical shop and help with HIPAA.
Will you replace our equipment vendors’ support?
No. We look after the network, storage and computers around the devices, and we call the vendor when a device itself needs them.
Do retinal and OCT images fall under HIPAA?
An image that identifies a patient is part of that patient’s record, so the same protections apply. Your own counsel can confirm how this works for your practice.
Can the optical shop be kept apart from patient records?
Yes. Separate network segments and permissions keep card payments and retail systems away from the clinical side.
How quickly could we recover from a failed server?
That is what a tested backup and a written recovery plan answer. We agree on a target and then test it.
We have two offices. Can you manage both?
Yes. We connect the sites securely and look after them as one system.