Hurricane season is here once again and many practices are preparing for the worst to keep running as smoothly as possible in the event of a catastrophe. As practices begin annual preparations for hurricane season and other disasters, they should ask themselves whether they will stay up and running in the event of a network outage, and how they can prepare their team.




A detailed disaster recovery plan will include an organized backup scheme and a plan for data in the event of computer loss or destruction. In cases of computer failure, theft, natural disaster, or fire, it is highly recommended to have an Recovery Plan in place for re-establishing your database and getting MacPractice up and running. A Recovery Plan should be reviewed and/or practiced at least once a quarter to ensure that MacPractice can be downloaded and installed, that a valid backup can be accessed and restored, and that other computers and users can log in and access patient data. 

For backups, MacPractice recommends creating a daily backup of MacPractice to the local hard drive or an external device. It is very important to always have a good backup to revert to if there is an emergency. Always store external backups in a secure location, such as a fireproof safe. Select a location that can be accessed if a backup is needed.
  • Retain the backups on an external device. Retain at least one backup from the following time periods.
    • The last 2 business weeks or 10 business days
    • The end of every month
    • The end of every quarter
    • The end of the fiscal year

Learn more about creating a disaster recovery plan...