As many people are finding out, connecting scanners in Termninal Services or Citrix environments is not stratight forward. Although Citrix does provide some degree of TWAIN redirection, it lacks many needed features and then only works with a small set of scanners.
RemoteScan is used by thousands of hospitals and medical offices to scan directly from end user workstations or PCs into any hosted EMR software or document managament package running on any Terminal Services or Citrix server.
RemoteScan does a lot more than the simple twain redirection, including lossless-data compression, user customizable templates for consistent scanner settings across an enterprise, the ability to share a single scanner with other TS/CX users, and it works with virtually every TWAIN or WIA scanner on the market. In addition, our new RemoteScanUniversal product lets you use generic TWAIN scanners with any ISIS software application. The real advantage of RemoteScan is that we take the pain out of scanner connectivity and have focused our technical efforts on making sure that scanning works with every possible type of TS/CX+scanner+software combination, letting users scan directly into their hosted applications without hassle, regardless what application they are using or what versions or flavor of RDP or ICA (TS,CX, etc.) that are in use in an enterprise. We also stay up-to-date with the constant additions of new versions of TWAIN drivers that get released by scanner manufacturers. The only downside of our product is that it is not free. Let us know if you have questions or problems.
- Steve Saroff, President of RemoteScan Corporation
- www.Remote-Scan.com
"The only downside of our product is that it is not free."
Great idea for a product. What is the cost?
RemoteScan software for Terminal Services or Citrix requires two components. One component is installed on the Terminal Services or Citrix Server, and there is no charge for that RemoteScan component. There is a charge for each end user work station or PC install, and the price depends on the total number of liceses purchased.
A ballpark figure?
It is not correct to list prices for a 3rd party product on this forum, esspecially since prices could change over time. However, current pricing for RemoteScan's products are found at www.remote-scan.com
RemoteScan does not charge for the components of server software which is installed on the Terminal Services or Citrix servers. The charge is based per work station (thin client, fat client or PC). This makes the software affordable to small to medium sized facilites who may only have the need for a few scanners. RemoteScan sells its software directly to most EMR companies, including Cerner, McKesson, NextGen, Concentra, Allscripts, etc, and pricing for the RemoteScan software through these companies may be less expensive than what is listed on the RemoteScan web site, so you should also check with your current EMR vendor.
Really cool concept.
Obviously Enterprise Document Management Solutions don't count on Citrix for remote scanning, but for those that have not developed EDMS in the EMR this could be a great solution.
I still don't get it. The purpose of scanning an object is to make a digital archive of the given object. I can do that a number of ways from any software program that can save or print by Save As or using a Printer driver to Print To another object, such as a PDF. This includes my thin client terminal service computers. Since I am networked, I can save any objects in any folder that is shared on any networked computer. Based on your Photoshop example, it looks like you are simply saving into a virtual scanner, a unnecessary step. I must be missing something.
Chris Wilkerson, D.C. Carson Doctors Group TabletPCs in Medicine Editor-in-Chief www.MedicalTabletPC.com Home: www.Digital-Doc.com
As you pointed out, there are many ways to scan documents to local or shared folders, however what RemoteScan provides is a solution for scanning directly into any hosted application. This means that software that is running on a server (any Terminal Services, Citrix, RDP, ICA, etc, server or farm), with RemoteScan is able to let users, straight from the scanners connected to their workstations, scan into the actual EMR, EHR or document management database record. These scans then become part of the patient data set, and not some file in a shared folder.
Most EMR / EHR systems now have functionality to include scanned images of insurance/ID cards, prescriptions, and other hand-written notes.
In a Terminal Services or Citrix environment RemoteScan lets people scan straight into any hosted application. RemoteScan is used with software systems from Cerner, McKesson, NextGen, Allscripts, GE, Concentra, and smaller software vendors. Again, there are many ways to scan where the scanned image becomes a file that can be saved in a shared folder, but what RemoteScan provides is a seamless incorporation of any scanned image straight into patient records.
I hope this helps.
steve
ssaroff:the ability to share a single scanner with other TS/CX users
I think this point went under emphasized a bit. RemoteScan can allow more than one workstation to share a single scanner. Think about this in terms of checkin stations and medical records stations. We've had a few practices with 2 computers upfront for checkin and a single scanner sitting between them. The scanner was used for insurance cards, and other lightweight documents. Sames goes in the Medical Records room where documents are scanned into the EMR. The money saved on hardware more than took care of the software licenses.
We currently use Citrix Twain Redirection, which has gotten much better in PS4 and PS4.5. It DOES NOT support multiple users on one scanner and is a little more difficult to troubleshoot. You can also mix and match where needed.
In a pure TS environment, it is a great product and they have a long standing excellent track record in the thin client world. Many practices have a satellite office with just one or two stations at it and this is an ideal way of adding scanning to the remote site when using RDP for access.
Just adding my .02c since they have helped me a bunch over the years...
Chuck.
>>I think this point went under emphasized a bit. RemoteScan can allow more than one workstation to share a single scanner.<<
I think I understand. The catch is you need multiple workstation in the physical proximity of the scanner to make this scenario viable.
>>I think I understand. The catch is you need multiple workstation in the physical proximity of the scanner to make this scenario viable.<<
No, what RemoteScan is mostly used for is to let scanners work with Terminal Services as well as all versions of Citrix. Without RemoteScan, using scanners in TS/CX environments is a hassle at best.
The scannner sharing is just one part of the product.
digital-doc:The catch is you need multiple workstation in the physical proximity of the scanner to make this scenario viable.
It's not a catch, it's a benefit. It will do everything that the Citrix Twain support will do plus some. It costs more, as the Citrix version is built in, but it offers better management and troubleshooting.
>>It's not a catch, it's a benefit.<<
Absolutely, if you have two or more workstations with in reaching distance of the scanner.
I have one fast main scanner in one room. One person scans into a designated repository folder and my 14 workstations can access that central folder via a one click desktop hyperlink on the corresponding workstation computer. In my case, I have any scans designated for me dragged and dropped into my special folder, by the scanning person, and the scan is then automatically synchronized to my special folder on my workstation. I could do this auto sync with each employee, or even auto mail it, if there was a need.
digital-doc: I agree, from what you describe you have a very good custom system, but one that has required a work-flow customization. RemoteScan software is of greatest use for people who want to be able to scan directly into any or all software applications that are running on a Terminal Services or Citrix server, without having to set up shared folders (which might, by the way, depending on how you set up access rights, etc, not be in full HIPAA compliance), or custom transfer scripts / special instructions, etc.
What twain redirection / RemoteScan lets people do is scan directly, without any customization, into any software package that can be installed and used with Terminal Services, RDP/ICA/Citrix environments, including Adobe Acrobat, Word, or any of the thousands of available document management, EMR, EHR system. This means that scanned images never are placed even for a moment in common or shared folders, and instead go directly into whatever encrypted/secure form of data storage that has been designed into document management/ EMR/EHR applications, which to meet HIPAA compliance, are almost always some form of an encrypted data element in a database record.
Steve Saroff, President of RemoteScan Corporation
www.Remote-Scan.com
ssaroff: digital-doc: I agree, from what you describe you have a very good custom system, but one that has required a work-flow customization. RemoteScan software is of greatest use for people who want to be able to scan directly into any or all software applications that are running on a Terminal Services or Citrix server, without having to set up shared folders (which might, by the way, depending on how you set up access rights, etc, not be in full HIPAA compliance), or custom transfer scripts / special instructions, etc. What twain redirection / RemoteScan lets people do is scan directly, without any customization, into any software package that can be installed and used with Terminal Services, RDP/ICA/Citrix environments, including Adobe Acrobat, Word, or any of the thousands of available document management, EMR, EHR system. This means that scanned images never are placed even for a moment in common or shared folders, and instead go directly into whatever encrypted/secure form of data storage that has been designed into document management/ EMR/EHR applications, which to meet HIPAA compliance, are almost always some form of an encrypted data element in a database record. Steve Saroff, President of RemoteScan Corporation www.Remote-Scan.com
Steve, I have a much greater understanding, finally. However, and I am not trying to be argumentative, but desiring clarification: In every post you say that you can scan into an EMR. ("or any of the thousands of available document management, EMR, EHR system"). This makes total sense with a document management system. However, this is simply not going to happen in an EMR without the EMR vendor/programmer cooperation. These EMR databases are closed and you can't scan into them as if they were an open text document.