Electronic Health Reporter

The healthcare industry utilizes many technologies to offer a more streamlined service to its patients. Most healthcare providers have shifted to digital means in providing the much-needed medical assistance to whoever needs it. So, a failure in any system, no matter how small, can bring about many inefficiencies and unnecessary disturbances to the medical processes, including possible deaths. Due to the high risks surrounding IT in the healthcare industry, it’s advisable to outsource these services to experts in the IT industry. These services are often referred to as managed IT services.

As a healthcare facility manager, are you wondering whether to seek managed IT services? This article will help you make this decision by discussing the benefits of outsourcing your IT services. Read on for this insight!

When you hire one, you’ll benefit from:

• Access To Quality Resources

Independently managing the IT aspect of your healthcare facility requires many resources. For instance, you must invest in technology to help your IT team fulfill their resources. You’ll also need to hire an in-house IT team. Initial acquisition of these resources isn’t always the issue. The issue arises with the scalability aspect of your facility. Once your operations increase, you have to acquire more tools. 

In addition, developers are upgrading theirs for better efficiency. So, you might find it challenging to keep up with the changes, forcing you to utilize old technologies, which isn’t ideal. Scalability also means hiring more workers, which can be challenging if you don’t have the resources to accommodate them.

However, managed IT services change the whole narrative. This team has access to the best and latest technologies that better the healthcare industry. It gives your facility access to quality tools, ensuring efficiency in service delivery. On an IT team, managed providers have their team who are experts in what they do. You’ll have experts serving your business, increasing better services. Visit https://fusioncomputing.ca/ and similar services for more details on the services you’ll get from most managed IT service providers.  

• Increased Security

Digitization has made many industries adopt digital systems to run their operations. The same applies to the health industry. With this adoption, you’ll find that most data is easily accessible online. It has contributed to the rise in cybercrime. Hackers try to access this data digitally and use it for the wrong reasons. Therefore, digital security is of the essence. Digital security becomes much easier with managed IT services.

There’s a high probability you aren’t the only client of the managed IT provider. Many clients mean the provider has gained experience over the years and can potentially meet your needs better. They’ll work in know-how rather than trial and error, increasing the chances of you getting quality services. Also, since they’re experts, they know what to look for regarding cybersecurity, enabling them to safeguard your digital data better. Your patients don’t have to worry as they adopt your online systems. You also won’t worry about who illegally accesses your facility’s data. You’ll focus all your energy on crucial matters that yield better returns and the health of your patients.

• Reduced Costs

Costs are the cornerstone of any business, no matter the industry. Without money, you can barely keep your operations afloat. Therefore, most facilities aim at reducing costs to the bare minimum. You can barely manage this as a healthcare facility that operates its IT department independently. Why?

You’ll have to hire an in-house IT team, considering they don’t come cheap. Imagine hiring a team of ten experts whose individual salaries are high. It goes without saying that you must pay their insurance and give them other benefits such as allowances. Also, a large team requires extra office space to accommodate them, increasing the amount payable as rent. This team also needs regular training, adding to your expenditure.

However, by seeking managed IT services, your expenses reduce significantly. You’ll only pay the provider a fixed cost for everything IT in your healthcare facility. The provider has its team and will often work remotely. You won’t need an entire in-house team, nor will you need to acquire extra office space, saving you money.  

• Better Compliance

The healthcare industry is sensitive since it involves public health and requires a lot of patients’ information. Should such data get into the wrong hands, a lot of harm can be done. Due to this, regulating bodies have come up with laws that aim to protect patients. These laws include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other data protection and privacy laws.

As a manager in a health facility, it might become challenging to keep up. These laws can be challenging to comply with if you do this yourself. Being proactive in knowing its provisions is nearly impossible since you have other operations to manage. It increases the chances of you being non-compliant, which can lead to fines and penalties.

A managed IT service provider ensures you’re always ahead in terms of compliance. Since they serve no other role in your facility than IT, they’ll easily ensure all your systems are compliant. So, their focus is on their task alone. Besides compliance, you can better focus on the crucial aspects of your facility, mainly caring for your patients.  

Conclusion

The discussion above highlights the benefits of seeking managed IT services in your healthcare facility. No matter the many benefits, you can only enjoy them by adopting managed IT services. Therefore, consider working with a managed IT provider for your facility. However, the decision is yours to make. Be sure to make the right one.