Technology plays a crucial role in delivering efficient, high-quality patient care. From health records to at-home services, practitioners rely on their IT at every step. But what happens when it stops working? Extended downtime can bring all of your operations to a standstill, preventing patients from receiving the care they need. The long-term financial and reputational consequences can be severe.
So how do you ensure that your technology stays online?
Defining IT Support
IT support encompasses a range of services designed to ensure that your technology functions optimally. This might include:
- Technical Support: Troubleshooting issues to minimise and resolve downtime.
- Monitoring: Proactively watching for future problems, and providing strategies to mitigate them.
- Maintenance: Daily maintenance tasks to keep IT running smoothly and reduce breakdowns.
- Data Security: Implementation of cyber security measures to prevent attacks.
Effective healthcare IT support will make sure your technology enhances daily operations, rather than hindering them. It improves efficiency, reduces risk, and ultimately improves the quality of care you can deliver to patients.
The Importance of IT Support in Healthcare
In healthcare, where the benefits of technology are not always immediately apparent, it can be easy to underestimate the importance of IT support. The truth is that it provides many critical benefits:
Fewer Cyber-Attacks
Healthcare is increasingly seen by threat actors as a high-gain, low-effort industry. Practices typically have many undefended attack vectors, making sensitive data easy to access. This has made it one of the most commonly attacked fields, putting a target on your back. The robust security measures provided by many IT support teams will help address vulnerabilities before threat actors can use them, preventing data breaches and protecting patient data.
Improved Compliance
Patient data is subject to strict protection and privacy laws, due to its highly sensitive nature. Failure to properly secure this delicate personal information can lead to severe regulatory penalties, as well as damaging your reputation. By improving your overall security and updating older systems, IT support also brings your practice into closer alignment with your obligations.
More Uptime and Higher Efficiency
Technical failures can result in long periods of downtime, affecting appointment scheduling, billing, and communication. Over time this impacts the amount of care you can provide, ultimately harming both patients and profits. Reliable healthcare IT support minimises disruptions by addressing issues before they can impact your practice, resulting in more uptime and higher efficiency.
Healthier, Happier Patients
IT is the foundation your entire organisation rests upon. When it functions properly, all of your operations become more effective. This improves the quality of patient care, which in turn keeps them healthier and happier. It goes without saying that they will also be more likely to choose your practice again in the future.
Managed IT Support for Healthcare: What to Consider
Despite the vast benefits of IT support, your practice may not have the resources to support an in-house team. Fortunately, this is not your only option. Many managed service providers (MSPs) offer IT support, which can serve as a more cost-effective alternative.
When Do You Need Managed Services?
Managed IT support for healthcare can be beneficial in several scenarios:
- Budgetary Concerns: Many healthcare organisations run on extremely tight budgets. MSPs charge on a fixed price model, and are often significantly cheaper than trying to maintain an internal team.
- A Growing Practice or Variable Workload: Your practice may not have the same IT needs all the time. Managed services are highly scalable, allowing them to adapt their services as your workloads change.
- Frequent Technical Issues: Regular downtime or slower operations may indicate that your IT is failing due to old age or poor maintenance. Outsourcing to a team of trained professionals will minimise these issues.
- Security or Compliance Gaps: MSPs specialise in security, and understand the regulations you must abide by. Their expertise will be invaluable for closing gaps and addressing vulnerabilities.
How to Choose a Provider
Selecting the right IT support is crucial. Consider these factors when making your decision:
- Industry Experience: Choose an MSP that specialises in your sector and understands the challenges you face. They should have a proven track record of success working with the healthcare industry.
- 24/7 Support: IT issues do not always strike between 9am and 5pm, especially for medical practices. Your support services should be available to help 24/7. They should also communicate quickly and clearly with you.
- Security: Choose a partner who prioritises security and is fully compliant with all regulations. If they take unnecessary risks, they are putting your practice in jeopardy.
- Service Flexibility: Ensure that your MSP can adjust their services to match your needs.
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Support Your Practice and Provide the Best Care Possible
When patient outcomes rely on your ability to get the job done, efficient IT is not optional. But maintaining your technology is often easier said than done. The right support team will address potential problems before they can shut down your practice, and get you back on track faster when the worst does happen. Streamlined operations, less downtime, and fewer security concerns are well worth the investment.
At Vandros, we understand that you can’t afford to stand around waiting for the IT guy to show up. When an issue arises, you need it fixed now. That’s why we pride ourselves on lightning-fast support that solves current problems while anticipating tomorrow’s challenges. If you’re ready to take back control of your technology, explore our cost calculator to find out more.
