Healthcare IT Outsourcing Services for Medical Offices

Summary: Outsourced medical IT has become integral to running a small medical practice that does not have an in-house IT department. This article explores the IT services available and why healthcare IT outsourcing is a cost-effective management solution for keeping the practice’s IT system running smoothly and securely.

Medical offices have a lot of moving parts. From patient appointment scheduling to test results and HIPPA-protected private patient data to payment processing, there are far too many tasks to be performed by clinical and administrative staff as part of their regular duties. Also, they cannot be expected to have the expertise to perform essential IT and cyber security functions. As medical technology advances and more smart devices become part of networks, cyber security and device functionality have become increasingly more challenging to protect.

Liability risk for cyberattacks and data breaches has increased, as well. Costs for data breaches include legal fees, notification costs, credit monitoring, remediation fees, harm to reputation, direct financial hits, regulatory fines for every record breached and more. The cost of proactive professional IT service is minor compared to the cost of one data breach.

What is Health IT Management?

Medical practices can hire third-party providers for medical practice IT support. Working with medical organizations, health care managed IT professionals can take on the tasks of an IT department and free up practices to focus on patient care and their core services.

Outsourced medical IT can be customized for your practice. It can include network support and maintenance, data management, conferencing and telephony, infrastructure design and management, cyber security and many other services to support a fast, efficient, compliant and secure system.

Medical office technology for small practices is a cost-effective way to provide IT expertise across your medical office network. Some of the top services offered by outsourced medical IT include:

• Medical Billing and Coding Connectivity – Medical practices that outsource medical billing and coding processes to third-party vendors require secure connections and management of those connections, including the ability to shut down access when needed.
• Telemedicine for Doctors and Patients – Tele-visits between doctors and patients have become commonplace. For some patients, it is difficult to visit a doctor. Tele-visits must be easily connected, stable and secure. Your healthcare IT management team can ensure your connections are clear and that the patient’s privacy is maintained with state-of-the-art cyber security. Also, clinicians can confer with other medical professionals virtually and can discuss and analyze cases in real time.
  • Remote Patient Monitoring – Advances in medical technology have allowed for remote, real-time monitoring of patients. For example, a cardiac patient can be fitted with a remote device that sends up-to-the-minute data to the patient’s care team for review and possible action.
• Electronic Health Records – Electronic health records (EHRs) allow medical personnel to digitize medical records and centralize storage of the records for fast access when required. Healthcare managed IT experts can install, update, maintain and troubleshoot record management systems. They can optimize your data management with backups and archiving to maintain access and reduce storage costs.
• Cyber Security – Healthcare IT outsourcing helps maintain a strong cyber security posture. As high-compliance organizations, medical practices must maintain HIPAA laws which protect patients’ private data. Outsourced medical IT companies oversee cybersecurity and can provide advanced threat detection and monitoring. Also, medical IT experts can install data encryption, perform security audits and help maintain medical record confidentiality across multiple healthcare platforms.
• IT Infrastructure – Healthcare managed IT providers can assume responsibility for your practice’s hardware, software updates, servers and network-connected devices like printers. Systems will only function properly when the connected IT infrastructure is maintained correctly.

Health IT Management is More Affordable Than Full-Time In-House Employees

Managed medical IT services and practice support are a cost-effective way to get reliable IT support for your business. Practices learn about the new technology solutions to serve their patients' needs and should not need to worry about computer malfunctions or cyberattacks. Healthcare IT outsourcing offers many advantages to medical practices, such as:

• Cost-Effective IT Support – Most small medical practices cannot justify the cost of a full-time in-house IT department. Outsourcing IT is much more affordable (around $100 per month, per computer seat) and allows practices to focus on their core expertise without being frustrated by a malfunctioning or compromised IT system.
• Scalability- As your practice grows, your health IT management experts can help expand your computer system to accommodate increased staff, multiple offices or whatever growth changes impact your organization.
• Robust Data Security and Privacy – By implementing data protection protocols, outsourced medical IT can protect your sensitive data, helping reduce the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
• Streamlined IT Functions – Delegating IT operations to outside experts provides an broader outside perspective, product knowledge and experience that allows medical organizations to streamline their IT processes and improve efficiency while not wasting time on non-patient-related work.
• Innovative, Up-to-date Technological Advances – Staying current with the latest IT technological advances for health organizations is crucial to maintaining the best, most secure system for your medical practice. Health IT management professionals have the expertise required to keep all of your IT current with the latest technology solutions available.

Healthcare Managed IT: Key Takeaways

Healthcare IT outsourcing is an invaluable resource for medical practice administrative staff and clinicians. Healthcare IT is a specific area of expertise and medical personnel should not be expected to perform IT-related functions. Unless you have your own IT department, the best and most cost-effective IT solution is provided by managed, outsourced medical IT professionals so that medical staff can concentrate on patient care and workflow. Proactive service and maintenance keep the practice IT running smoothy and results in less emergency and unplanned service calls for healthcare managed IT companies. This service arrangement benefits both small medical practices and managed IT service providers and results in reliable, secure technology for patients and practice employees.