Use of redundant arrays of inexpensive disks in orthodontic practice.

In a time when orthodontists are getting away from paper charts and going digital with their patient data and imaging, practitioners need to be prepared for a potential hardware failure in their data infrastructure. Although a backup plan in accordance with the Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 may prevent data loss in case of a disaster or hard drive failure, it does little to ensure business and practice continuity. Through the implementation of a common technique used in information technology, the redundant array of inexpensive disks, a practice may continue normal operations without interruption if a hard drive fails.