Why Managed IT Services are Essential for Healthcare
Managed IT services are vital for any organization dealing with sensitive client information, but perhaps none more so than those in the healthcare industry. Outsourced managed IT services for healthcare organizations allow you to optimize patient care, streamline administrative processes, and remain HIPAA compliant.
While some healthcare professionals may be wary of handing the reins over to outsiders, working with trusted managed service providers (MSPs) can significantly boost efficiency and reduce the threat of data breaches.
MSPs allow medical centers and other healthcare providers to hand over the often-confusing responsibility of managing a complex IT infrastructure to IT professionals whose sole focus is keeping you efficient, organized, protected, and compliant.
There are countless reasons that managed IT services are crucial for healthcare professionals, but here are the top five:
1. Ensure HIPAA Compliance
Cloud technology, Telehealth, and the increasing digitalization of electronic health records (EHRs) have drastically improved healthcare delivery but have also complicated safeguarding protected health information (PHI).
Failing to comply with HIPAA regulations can be dangerous—and costly—for healthcare providers. A good MSP will lessen the demands on your in-house IT team by putting measures in place that ensure your compliance and regularly assessing your infrastructure to determine whether any gaps or vulnerabilities exist.
2. Protect your data
Protecting your data isn’t just about compliance with HIPAA regulations. Data breaches can be catastrophic for organizations in any industry, not just healthcare. Of course, the consequences are especially dire for organizations dealing with PHI.
MSPs will help you improve your healthcare IT security posture by assessing the security of your network and devices, identifying the risks you currently face, and helping you address those risks.
An MSP can also help your team members participate in your defense through security awareness training.
3. Boost efficiency and reduce IT Costs
Most healthcare organizations don’t have the budget or resources to support the operating cost of an extensive in-house IT team, certainly not one large enough to protect, support, and manage their IT infrastructure effectively. MSPs provide a cost-effective way to enjoy the IT resources of a much larger organization. A dedicated managed service provider offers more holistic IT risk protection and prevention.
IT disasters can strike at any time. That is why the best MSPs provide 24/7/365 support to ensure your organization is always prepared to address threats rapidly. Your managed services team can help you eliminate any single failure point and prevent devastating system failures.
Additionally, managed services providers can assist with business continuity planning, which results in increased uptime and optimal allocation of resources. Increased uptime and more efficient resource use mean short and long-term savings and less staff burnout.
4. Improve the Patient Experience
A well-managed IT infrastructure reduces stress for healthcare providers. Knowing their technology will work when needed gives them a sense of continuity and peace of mind. Preventing downtime also directly serves your customers, as anything that gets in the way of practitioners retrieving EHRs can delay treatment, appointments, or tests. This peace of mind and seamless workflow also transform the quality of patients’ care. High-functioning technology and a reliable IT service provider empower providers to focus on what they do best: provide high-quality care to patients. This ultimately improves the patient experience.
5. Utilize the Latest in Cloud Technology
Cloud technology has revolutionized patient data storage, sharing, and analysis. When done properly, cloud-based storage saves organizations time, energy, and headaches while making data easier to share and interpret.
The processes of migrating to the cloud and protecting your cloud-based data can be incredibly fraught, however, which is another reason why organizations in healthcare rely on managed service providers to handle these tricky aspects for them.
The move toward the cloud goes back to improving patient experience. Cloud hosting allows various healthcare providers—perhaps even across multiple centers or organizations—to securely share information that paints a clearer picture of a patient’s health, thus providing a more holistic healthcare experience.
About Plow Networks
Plow Networks is a leading IT services provider, connecting businesses to technology since 2012. With deep expertise in network, cloud, and end user support services, we partner with clients to leverage technology in ways that simplify operations and fuel growth. Plow Networks is based in Brentwood, Tennessee.
