Healthcare IT Solutions and Trends for Medical Practices

Summary: Explore the current healthcare IT trends and how they support your small medical practice. Also, find out which outsourced medical IT solutions can expand your practice's efficiency and cyber security. Health data management solutions available for your organization can enhance efficiency, compliance and patient confidence.

Medical practices have had many challenges adapting to changing healthcare models. Tele-visits are now a regular option for many patients. Communication between doctors has never been more organic during their workdays. New medical technology is continuously added to support innovative diagnostic and treatment plans. Unfortunately, many small medical practices do not have the budget to add new technology as quickly as larger healthcare organizations. Also, they often lack the staff and expertise to support the technical growth of their practice or to investigate and see projects through to completion. In addition, most practices cannot justify an in-house IT department and are often unaware of the extensive and cost-effective healthcare IT outsourcing services for medical offices that are available to them.

Healthcare IT Trends

Over the past decade, healthcare IT business ideas have been expansive as the role of healthcare IT consulting services in enhancing operational efficiency has grown. Healthcare IT continues evolving and has moved beyond a simple computer network and occasional Zoom calls. The internet of things (IoT), smart devices and software development related to medical practices provide many new trending services, such as:

• Expanded Telehealth – Virtual medical appointments have become commonplace and are a win-win for doctors and patients. For patients, particularly sick or disabled ones, telehealth visits are a significant convenience. Also, no physical contact is required if the patient has a communicable illness. For doctors, tele-visits are generally shorter and more accessible, fitting into their schedules and allowing them to consult with more patients.
• Remote Patient Monitoring – Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) has taken a giant leap forward. New connected devices can collect patient data and transmit it to clinicians in real time. Glucose monitoring and cardiac event monitoring are used more frequently. Cardiac devices are now available that can automatically perform cardiac defibrillation and restart a patient’s heart after cardiac arrest and immediately send an alert to their physician.
• Patient Engagement – Secure digital platforms have been developed to increase patient communication and autonomy. Many small medical practices have online appointment scheduling and reminders for their patients. Also, practices have patient portals through which patients can access their test results and other personal medical data. Some of the engagement platforms offer medical information related to the patient’s condition.
• Process Automation – Automation of many processes has been streamlined. Automated functions such as billing, payment, insurance verification and scheduling save significant time for administrative staff.
• Cloud Storage and Computing – Cloud storage is scalable, growing with your practice as needed. Cloud computing also permits medical data access from anywhere a WiFi signal is available.
• Multi-Provider Data Access – Electronic health records (EHRs) allow patients and clinicians to share data. Multiple providers can all work with the same, up-to-date patient information, improving care with updated, shared medical data.
• Mobile Healthcare Apps – Patients can now check-in, track their medicines, learn about their treatment plans and access their medical history from their mobile phones and tablets. Many patient questions that would have required a phone call to the provider in the past may now be answered through an integrated healthcare app installed on the patient’s devices.

Medical IT Solutions

Practices do not have the time or expertise to be directly involved in exploring healthcare IT solutions. There are many health data management solutions that must be addressed by medical IT experts, such as:

• Strong Cyber Security – As high-compliance organizations governed by strict HIPAA regulations, medical practices must engage IT professionals to ensure their sensitive patient data and connected devices are secured with up-to-date cyber security measures in place. In addition to direct network data threats, medical and other smart devices connected to a medical practice’s network (printers, security systems, tablets, imaging machines and more) are all vulnerable endpoints through which cyberattacks can launch. Cyber security must be comprehensive to ensure patient privacy and care and reduce liability risk from data breaches.
• Compatible Third-Party Platforms – The number of productivity tools available to medical practices is vast. Choosing products that are compatible with a medical practice’s existing system, software and devices is essential. Healthcare IT experts can safely install and integrate compatible platforms such as pharmacy systems, laboratory results and other tools into your medical practice’s existing system. Also, healthcare IT professionals can determine if components of your system require updating if they are no longer supported by the developer.
• User Training and IT Support – All staff of medical practices should receive new IT product and cyber security awareness training as well as ongoing training at intervals to keep everyone on the same page. (All the security measures mean nothing if an employee clicks on a malicious link in a phishing attack). In addition, the healthcare IT support team will be available for technical help-desk support calls when your employees get stuck.
• Wearables and Fitness Tracking – Patients now have wearable devices that can track and collect health data. These tools are used for personal fitness or as mobile recorders that can help patients with specific medical issues or track medical events 24/7.

Professional IT Solutions for Small Medical Practices: Key Takeaways

Many medical IT solutions are available to small practices, which can optimize administrative functions and increase the quality of care through integrated platforms. By enlisting the assistance of healthcare IT solutions professionals, small medical practices can maximize efficiency, protect private medical data and improve overall patient care.

Practices gather a large amount of private personal information. In the hands of cybercriminals there is enough information to steal identities, steal funds or perpetrate ransom attacks threatening the release of confidential patient information. Practices that gather this information are responsible for protecting it. Data breaches can result in patient and employee lawsuits, having to pay for ongoing credit monitoring and regulatory fines and increased scrutiny and audits.

The risks of inadequate and insecure IT systems are enormous. Upfront costs for managed IT services are a small fraction of the cost of one cyberattack. Piecemeal IT and network security is a risk not worth taking. Healthcare IT trends now point to Investing in professional IT services for medical practices to get the most value out of your IT systems and to protect the business you have worked so hard to build. Professional technicians are familiar with a variety of systems and practice models and can share their experience with healthcare IT business ideas and solutions that you may not have considered.