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Costs are a major concern when it comes to IT solutions, and the healthcare industry has its struggles trying to keep up with the latest technology on the market. Thankfully, cloud solutions and increased storage availability mean hospitals and clinics finally get some relief. Although most of the biggest cloud providers are pushing their data […]

03 Oct, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Business Intelligence category

2016october3_healthcarearticles_bCosts are a major concern when it comes to IT solutions, and the healthcare industry has its struggles trying to keep up with the latest technology on the market. Thankfully, cloud solutions and increased storage availability mean hospitals and clinics finally get some relief. Although most of the biggest cloud providers are pushing their data analytics solutions on businesses and corporations, many are targeting the medical industry. Read on to find out how this popular trend can help your facility.

Business intelligence (BI) software truly lives up to its name. At its core, BI is all about data analytics, and it is able to accept overwhelming amounts of data in short periods of time to use advanced analysis algorithms to search for trends that even the most experienced statistician cannot find.

By swapping out customer fields such as previous number of purchases, order size, and order frequency, in favor of patient fields such as income level, English proficiency, housing conditions, and community resources, hospital administrators can provide extra care that will help prevent expensive readmissions.

By combining socioeconomic data with electronic medical records (EMR) in a BI software environment, hospitals and doctor’s offices can easily create patient profiles that will predict how likely they are to require readmission, even before care is provided.

For the context of this article, readmission is when a patient returns for more care within 30 days of the original hospital stay. Cases like these usually stem from conditions immediately following the initial visit, such as mismanagement of the original condition, improper self-medication, and not enough access to proper medical services and medications in their community.

For practices looking for methods to reduce readmissions by three percent or greater, predictive analytics allow doctors to ensure that certain types of patients can totally avoid readmissions with proper initial care.

With effective implementation of these solutions, hospitals can save a lot of money. After reducing the incidence of readmissions by 6,000 patients annually, one particular practice was able to save $72 million on medical services, avoid $4 million in Medicare penalties, and boost its reputation by leaps and bounds.

Big data isn’t only for big business. BI software can deliver your practice unprecedented levels of care and efficiency, and we’re the ones who know how to get it done. Whether you want to lower readmission rates or ensure your EMR compliance, call us today to partner with a trusted IT expert.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Besides looking like an early version of Cyclops from The X-Men, what’s with all the hype on virtual reality? How much of a difference can be made by slipping ourselves into a three-dimensional world? For businesses, operating with the same routine day in and day out can be quite monotonous for employees. Imagine if they […]

30 Sep, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in category

2016september30_businessvalue_bBesides looking like an early version of Cyclops from The X-Men, what’s with all the hype on virtual reality? How much of a difference can be made by slipping ourselves into a three-dimensional world? For businesses, operating with the same routine day in and day out can be quite monotonous for employees. Imagine if they were able to see the world in a new way -- what would happen? If the promise of futuristic fun doesn’t suffice, here are other reasons to embrace VR:

Create your own virtual product prototypes

With the help of virtual reality, you’ll no longer have to rely on manufacturing when you want to see what your product physically looks like and how it might work. These virtual products allow you to make any changes before going through with production. According to Abi Mandelbaum, CEO and co-founder of YouVisit, “Model creation in VR, for example, can save companies time and money, as these types of models or prototypes allow viewers to examine a product and make changes without the time or expense of building a physical model.”

Virtual designs for engineers

Especially beneficial for engineers, architects and other professionals that work with building or engineering large structures, virtual reality helps save both time and money. As an alternative to small models or 2D renderings, VR offers a more immersive experience that helps design and replicate structures.

Virtual tours

Let’s say that you’re a real estate agent showing houses to potential buyers. Your buyers might be in a different state or simply don’t want to spend time going from house-to-house. Virtual reality allows customers to see what the home looks likes in a three-dimensional setting without them having to actually be there.

Showing all the angles of a product

In order to entice buyers into making a purchase, they must first get an idea as to what it’s actually like, and they need to see as many angles as possible -- especially for products that customers don’t get to physically touch. With virtual reality, customers are given a better idea of what your product is like. Abi Mandelbaum says that “Virtual reality can allow current and potential customers to explore a product before they commit to making a purchase. Furthermore, VR completely immerses customers, helping place a product directly into their (virtual) hands or empowering viewers to see a product in action.”

Take customers on an adventure

If you are in any tourism or adventure-based business, you can use virtual reality to give customers a taste of what to expect from the attractions. Imagine that you have an amusement park and want to attract customers’ attention. You can opt to offer a short VR replication of one of your rides so people can see whether or not they’d like it. Or if you own a resort or campground, you’ll also be able to create reality versions of whatever activities you offer.

VR has the potential to take your small- and medium-sized business to the next level if done properly of course. If you have any questions about how you can mesh virtual reality with your company, don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call. We’ll be more than happy to assist with your queries.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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If you thought Office 365 couldn’t get any better, Microsoft was not of the same mind. Late last month the company announced a new feature that allows users to invite guests to interact with 365 groups and their content. Whether they’re international business partners, local customers, or infrequent clients, you can involve them regardless of […]

29 Sep, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Office, Office 365 category

2016september29_office_bIf you thought Office 365 couldn’t get any better, Microsoft was not of the same mind. Late last month the company announced a new feature that allows users to invite guests to interact with 365 groups and their content. Whether they’re international business partners, local customers, or infrequent clients, you can involve them regardless of their 365 subscription. Here’s a look at the nitty-gritty details.

This new functionality mainly centers around Office 365 groups. A 365 group is essentially an email address with Office privileges that several people have access to. For example, if you have an Editorial Group, each individual writer at your organization will receive emails, calendar invites, and document read/edit privileges sent to [email protected].

If you’re interested in adding a guest from outside of your organization to an Office 365 group, the process is simple. From the group administration dashboard, click “Add Members.” Then, all you need to do is enter the email addresses of whomever you would like to add, and voilà.

Guest collaborators will receive an email alerting them of their new addition and access to group files, emails, and calendar items -- all accessible via Office on the web.

Take note, however, of Outlook’s alert: “You’re adding a guest to this group. As a member, they’ll have access to group content.” This will grant new guests all the same read/edit privileges as other group members -- including privileges from before the guest was added.

There is no requirement for guests to have a Microsoft account, and by always labeling the new member as a guest, original group members won’t ever have to worry about forgetting who should receive confidential document privileges.

Unless the guest is a trusted partner, we recommend creating 365 groups specially designated for the purpose of outside collaboration to ensure the privacy of your cloud documents. Administrators can remove them at any time, or guests can volunteer to leave on their own.

Adding and removing collaborators from outside of your organization may be as simple as adding an email address to a list, but the possibility for improved teamwork is limitless. If at any point in your workflow you feel that your work is suffering from bottlenecks in creation, communication, or collaboration, there’s a good chance Office 365 has a solution. If there’s anyone who will know that solution, it’s us. Message us today about collaborating on all your productivity dilemmas.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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With its most recent keynote, Apple has increased the storage capacity of iPhones and iPads. Minimum storage for these two devices have risen from the 16GB to 32GB, with iPad prices remaining the same. If you are thinking about buying a new iPad, stay tuned for the latest info about storage upgrades and the reduced […]

28 Sep, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in iPad category

2016september31_apple_bWith its most recent keynote, Apple has increased the storage capacity of iPhones and iPads. Minimum storage for these two devices have risen from the 16GB to 32GB, with iPad prices remaining the same. If you are thinking about buying a new iPad, stay tuned for the latest info about storage upgrades and the reduced price per gigabyte.

Hoping to lure customers back to their mobile devices, Apple has made a number of changes to its products. However, the changes aren’t as simple as they sound, and there are 21 total variations of iPad model and storage. For instance, the storage capacity of the iPad mini 2, the oldest and cheapest version, has been upgraded from 16GB to 32GB.

Both the new Wi-Fi and cellular models of the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 share the same price, and come in either 32GB or 128GB. These are the only two storage options available for these models as the mid-range 64GB model has been discontinued. While the mini 4 kept all its prices the same and simply added more storage, the Air 2 received increased storage capacity and price reductions as high as $200 for the largest model.

Previously, those looking to purchase high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pros had to shell out over a thousand dollars. But if you’re willing to stick to a Wi-Fi model, that’s no longer the case with the 256GB version coming in at $999. Cellular-enabled iPad Pros won’t offer a 32GB model, which means the cheapest option will cost you over a grand.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro offers the most variety in available storage, with 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB models for both the Wi-Fi and cellular versions of the tablet. Not excepted from price cuts, these models saw price reductions across each of the six configurations, which now cost anywhere from $599 to $929.

Originating in 1965, Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors in a circuit doubles every two years. This standard has held true even for digital storage, which has grown exponentially. However, what Moore’s Law doesn’t approximate is price. Yet again, consumers have the opportunity to purchase greater computing power at lower prices.

Apple manufactures a lot more than just iPhones and iPads. As specialists in everything that runs iOS and MacOS, we’re your one-stop shop for all your Apple technology needs. Whether it’s hardware advice or Mac-only software solutions, we’re here to help. Give us a call today to find out how we can improve your Apple technology.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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