What are the biggest challenges you’ll face when working with a healthcare IT services provider? Even more importantly, how can you overcome these challenges? Following are some answers that will help you, along with your chosen healthcare IT company, keep your EMR system optimized, up and running at all times.
Challenge 1: Security Breaches
Are security breaches a priority concern for the medical industry? Recent statistics indicate that the medical industry is facing an increased number of attacks just as a growing number of hospitals, clinics, and doctors are relying on computerized data more than ever before. Ransomware and other types of malware attacks have forced a number of medical centers to completely shut down their systems in order to recuperate valuable data. The theft and dissemination of personally identifiable information have resulted in numerous healthcare service providers losing patients and customers.
One of the most effective ways to prevent security breaches is to work with a healthcare IT consulting company that puts a premium on security. Reliable IT Healthcare, for instance, offers a comprehensive security assessment to every single new client. This assessment is customized to meet the needs of every single client and enables a medical center to discover and eliminate system vulnerabilities that could lead to a security breach at some point in time. What is more, healthcare IT companies offer cloud storage so that valuable information is stored securely online rather than on personal devices that could be easily compromised by human error.
Challenge 2: Network Blind Spots due to Mergers and Acquisitions
Is your hospital, clinic or private practice in the process of merging with, being acquired by or acquiring another medical center? If so, you’ll need to watch out for network blind spots. These tend to happen when the parties in the merger or acquisition use different EMR patient software programs to store data. At the same time, problems can also arise even if both parties are using the same EMR software program.
It takes time to merge IT systems for two or more organizations, which means that data merging should take place as soon as possible. Are you in charge of patient EMR records? If so, make sure the existing records will be merged with new records as soon as possible. Arrangements should be made for old systems to remain up and running for a specific period of time while the combined records are being merged into a single system. After the adjustment period, have the healthcare IT company switch everyone over to the new system. Training may need to be provided to ensure that everyone knows how to use the new or updated EMR system.
Challenge 3: Failure to Update IT Systems to Continue Providing Optimized Services
Is your medical practice growing in scope and size? If so, you need to pay attention to regular IT system upgrades in order to properly handle your patient’s valuable data. This can be hard to do if you aren’t familiar with IT systems and services; thankfully, a healthcare IT consulting service can handle a great deal of the workload for you.
Healthcare IT services offer cloud hosting. This means you won’t have to upgrade your IT system in order to acquire more data storage space. You also won’t have to increase your bandwidth because the data is easy to store, access and edit using regular bandwidth services. A good healthcare IT company will also stay abreast of new technological developments that can help you offer faster, better services to your patients. What is more, IT professionals are acutely aware of the importance of data security and so regularly update security software programs to provide the best possible security at all times. If you want to keep your EMR system optimized at all times, there is no better way to do so than to outsource the job to IT experts who have the training and experience needed to handle the specific needs of the healthcare industry.
Challenge 4: Human Errors When Filing out Patient Records
Is your billing department spending hours sorting out mistakes related to patient medical records? If so, the likely cause is human error. Even the best EMR systems rely on human input and it’s easy for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to make mistakes, add information to the wrong field or fail to update information in a timely manner.
Thankfully, there are a few effective ways to solve these problems. Healthcare IT professionals who are familiar with the EMR system you are currently using can help you customize your program so you can use it with ease. What is more, many IT companies offer training and consultation services to help new and existing staff members better manage any given EMR software program.
Challenge 5: Keeping up with the Cost of IT Services
Is it expensive to outsource your healthcare IT needs to a company that specializes in this field? It can be but most hospitals, clinics and other medical service providers have found the cost to be well worth it. In fact, up to 80% of medical service providers outsource their IT needs to a healthcare IT company.
Even so, some hospitals, clinics and doctors have found the cost of outsourcing to be higher than originally anticipated. A few common problems driving up costs include selecting the wrong company for the job, purchasing services and tools that aren’t really needed to properly maintain and optimize electronic medical records and failure to provide clear guidelines regarding cost.
First of all, it’s important to choose an IT company that specializes in the healthcare industry, as regular IT companies won’t have the tools or know-how to handle EMR records properly. You also need to make sure your chosen Healthcare IT company caters to your specific needs as some only work with certain types of medical providers. Second, you need to understand your service options and only select the ones you actually need. Many healthcare IT companies offer scalable packages, which means you can upgrade or downgrade your services should the need arise at a later date. Finally, draw up a clear contract so both you and your chosen IT company know what services will and will not be provided.
Are you looking for a healthcare IT company with trained, experienced technicians, a high level of security and an array of services under one roof? Reliable IT Healthcare specializes in working with large medical service providers and doctor groups and offers consulting services, managed services and more. We handle a wide array of EMR systems, making it easy for you to focus on providing top quality healthcare while we manage your IT services so you can accurately and securely keep track of and access patient data at all times. Get in touch with us to learn more or to schedule an appointment for an initial assessment.
