Which scenario indicates that an application service provider (ASP) may be beneficial for a primary care practice?

The scenario where a primary care practice lacks both capital and IT staff for implementation highlights a significant challenge that an application service provider (ASP) can effectively address. ASPs offer hosted software solutions, meaning that the provider takes care of the software and infrastructure, significantly reducing the overhead costs associated with purchasing and maintaining in-house hardware and staff.

In this situation, the practice would benefit from the ASP model because it provides a cost-effective way to access necessary technologies without the burden of heavy upfront investments. Additionally, the lack of IT staff suggests that the practice would struggle with managing and supporting technology solutions; an ASP typically includes customer support, thus allowing the practice to focus more on patient care rather than technical issues.

In contrast, practices that have a strong IT staff or significant capital would likely be able to implement and manage their systems in-house. Furthermore, preferences for on-premise systems often indicate a readiness to implement technology independently, which would make ASPs less relevant in those scenarios. Therefore, option C is the most indicative of a situation where an ASP would provide substantial benefits to the practice.