Architecture

Amicore uses an innovative “hybrid” architecture that ensures near-100% uptime, made possible by Amicore’s unique Internet/application service architecture providing redundancy at the practice and at Amicore’s data center.  The system is designed to leverage the combined strengths of wireless connectivity for clinicians, local access and server processing for lightning-fast response and back-up, and high-speed internet communications to Amicore’s Data Center(s). Amicore’s architecture is designed to meet the highest levels of security via both hardware and software solutions, from Cisco routers to firewalls to password protection to database locking – you can trust that your patient information is protected by Amicore.
 
Amicore delivers the following worry-free IT services that centrally store practice data and ensure regular data backup:

Smart Devices -Clinicians use wireless tablet-style PCs that run the Amicore application using Microsoft WinForm as the basis for the user interface.  Amicore’s client tablet application writes all data at the Amicore Data Center through an ISP connection, the data is then replicated back down to the Local Appliance.  This provides redundancy not available in older client/server architectures and the power and sophistication not available in typical thin-client browser-based implementations.

Local Server Appliance - Amicore Integrated Management’s Smart Devices communicate through the standard 802.11b/g wireless protocol to a locally resident “black-box” Appliance -- a “headless” server without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.  This local Appliance provides four critical functions:

• Redundancy  - The Appliance maintains a near real time subset of the practice’s demographic and clinical data.  This local subset continuously synchronizes with the Amicore Data Center to remain up to date.  If there is a loss of connectivity between the practice and the Amicore Data Center, the Local Appliance takes over and clinicians can continue to use their Smart Devices without interruption.  When connectivity is restored, the Local Server Appliance performs a wholesale synchronization, replicating all local transactions that have occurred during the outage.
• Performance Improvement  -  The Smart Device client has local native intelligence and can optionally connect to the Local Appliance to use cached data for crisp application response.
• Distribution for Software Updates  -  Amicore updates its software from the Amicore Data Center by continuously pushing out updates to the Local Appliance. This update service also includes security patches.
• Self-Healing - Drawing on IBM’s Remote Service Adapter technology the Local Appliance continuously self-monitors and immediately notifies the Amicore Data Center of any failures in any component.

Legacy PCs - Using Windows Terminal Server, legacy PCs can be used to run Amicore Integrated Management where they connect to the Local Appliance and run the Application there. 

The Amicore Data Center - Central to its “one solution” ASP model, Amicore operates a series of sophisticated, world-class Data Centers. The Data Centers were built to have no Single Point Of Failure; in fact there is a Disaster Recovery Data Center that backs up the primary Data Center in the event of a Data Center problem. The computing infrastructure uses state-of-the-art technology; servers (using Predective Failure Alert – PFA; a system that detects problems before they affect any service), networking (100% Cisco), intelligent power, data backups (off site storage), security (filters, multiple Firewalls and segregated network design), and more.

Security - The protection of patient data is taken very seriously. The Data Center was designed to allow only certified traffic. The defense system is layered (Defense in depth).  Regular penetration testing is performed to audit the Data Center and the Doctor’s office implementation schemes. A HIPAA committee is organized and meets regularly to discuss compliance for Amicore’s customers. Intrusions detections systems alert Amicore of any potential problems.

Vendor Interfaces - During a clinical interaction, the clinician might order laboratory tests or prescribe medications, and the visit also incurs costs that must be billed to payers.  Amicore leverages Microsoft BizTalk (through XML-based adapters) to communicate with billing hubs such as Proxymed, lab aggregators such as QUEST, and electronic prescription hubs.  All of this secure communication uses the standard HL-7 protocols.

Managed care – the support staff at Amicore have remote connectivity tools to diagnose problems from Amicore’s HQ. The Local Appliance notifies Amicore personnel of any possible problem and responds to every alert - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.