A dental or medical clinic cannot run when the practice-management system, imaging or the network is down — appointments back up and patients wait. IT support for a clinic has to keep those systems available through the clinic day, protect patient information to the standard Alberta law requires, and be reachable fast when something stops working. Scandifix does this for dental and medical clinics in Edmonton.
What clinics need from their IT
- Uptime during clinic hours — practice management, EMR and imaging working from open to close
- Patient-data protection — safeguards, access logging and encryption that meet your obligations as a custodian
- Fast response — an operatory or exam-room computer down is an emergency, not a ticket for tomorrow
- Reliable backups — charts and images recoverable after hardware failure, ransomware or error
Patient data, PIPEDA and Alberta’s Health Information Act
Clinics handle health information governed by PIPEDA and, for custodians, Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA). Both require reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards, control over who can access records, and notification when there is a risk of harm from a breach. We help you meet the technical side:
- Encryption of data on servers, workstations, laptops and backups
- Multi-factor authentication and individual logins — no shared accounts
- Access control and audit logging so you can see who opened a record
- Secure messaging and email for anything containing patient information
- A monitored firewall with the clinic network segmented so imaging devices, staff computers and guest Wi-Fi are separated
- Staff security awareness training and a written incident-response plan
Delivered through our cybersecurity and network setup services. We help you meet your safeguard duties; the clinic remains the custodian of record.
The systems we support
- Dental practice management — Dentrix, ABELDent, Tracker, Power Practice, ClearDent and similar
- Medical EMR — Accuro, PS Suite, Med Access, Wolf and other Alberta-certified systems
- Imaging — intraoral sensors, panoramic and CBCT units, ultrasound, and the PACS or bridge software that stores the images
- Microsoft 365, payment terminals, appointment reminders, and clinic websites and forms
Backup and downtime planning
Imaging files are large and grow constantly, and healthcare is a favourite ransomware target. We set up 3-2-1 backups that include images and the practice database, with one immutable copy, and we test restores. We also write a short downtime procedure with you — how the clinic keeps seeing patients on paper for a few hours — and agree recovery targets. See our backup and disaster recovery service.
Networks and devices in a clinic
- Operatory and exam-room computers built to a standard image so a failed unit is swapped in minutes
- A wired, segmented network for imaging and medical devices, separate from staff and guest traffic
- Business Wi-Fi sized for tablets, laptops and a patient guest network that cannot reach clinical systems
- Uninterruptible power on servers, imaging and the main switch
Common IT problems we fix for clinics
- Practice management slow or freezing at the front desk
- An X-ray sensor or pano not talking to the software
- A new hygienist or associate needs a workstation and logins today
- Backups that have quietly stopped running
- Ageing server or operatory PCs due for replacement — through our hardware and software service
How we work with clinics
- Assess — a review of your systems, backups, security and network
- Plan — a prioritised list with costs; monthly managed support, block hours or a project
- Onboard — monitoring, backups, security baseline and documentation, with a confidentiality agreement in place
- Support — one helpdesk, proactive monitoring, and a roadmap reviewed each quarter
Managed plans start at $199/month — see our managed IT support page.
Serving Edmonton and the surrounding area
We work across Edmonton and the surrounding communities — Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Leduc, Nisku, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Fort Saskatchewan. Onsite when it needs hands on equipment, remote for everything else.
Frequently asked questions
Does our IT have to be HIA-compliant?
The clinic, as a custodian, has to meet the HIA’s safeguard and breach-notification requirements. Your IT setup is a large part of how you do that — encryption, access control, audit logs, backups and secure communication. We put those controls in place and help you document them; compliance responsibility stays with the clinic.
Is cloud practice-management software safe for patient data?
Yes, if the vendor is reputable and the clinic side is configured properly. The vendor secures the platform; you are responsible for accounts, devices and multi-factor authentication. Confirm where the data is hosted and what the vendor’s breach-notification terms say.
What happens if imaging goes down mid-clinic?
With a standard build and monitoring, most sensor and software faults are fixed remotely within the hour. Your downtime procedure covers the gap, and a spare imaging-ready computer keeps a room running while we work.
How is IT support priced for a clinic?
Typically a flat monthly fee based on the number of workstations, operatories and servers, covering helpdesk, monitoring, security and backups. See our managed IT services page.
Talk to us about your clinic’s IT — call +1 (587) 400-9991 (also on WhatsApp) or send us a message.