PSM is a trusted IT service provider that can help healthcare professionals in the Chicago, IL area with managed IT services. Our professionals have experience providing managed IT services for a variety of healthcare facilities. We can manage and maintain your IT system and implement cybersecurity measures that will help keep sensitive patient data private. Your healthcare facility will save time and money by putting your IT system in our hands and you will be able to focus more on providing the best possible care for your patients.
Businesses in every industry rely on their IT systems to handle a wide range of tasks from payment processing and payroll to data storage and running equipment. While problems with the IT system are detrimental to many businesses, this can be downright dangerous when healthcare providers have issues.
The number one concern of healthcare providers is the health and safety of their patients. No healthcare provider should have to worry about problems with their IT infrastructure when the health and even the lives of their patients are in the balance. Problems with IT systems in healthcare facilities can cause devices to malfunction and errors in patient data may lead to medical professionals making wrong decisions which is dangerous for their patients. Many healthcare facilities cannot afford to be offline or have system issues at all or the safety of their patients is compromised.
Common IT problems found in the healthcare industry include lags from old systems, slow or poor internet connections, unsecured networks, and a lack of communication options. The best way for healthcare providers to prevent problems and ensure their IT infrastructure is always running efficiently is to work with a managed service provider (MSP) that specializes in healthcare IT.
In this guide, we will discuss the importance of managed service providers in healthcare including what MSP for healthcare is as well as the benefits it has for healthcare providers. PSM Partners is an IT professional organization that can help healthcare providers in the Chicago, IL area with managed IT services.
What is MSP in Healthcare?
Healthcare providers of all types rely on their IT infrastructure to store and manage patient data, billing, and prescriptions and some need their IT systems to operate certain machinery. If there is any problem with the operation or security of the IT infrastructure, it can put the patients (and data) at serious risk.
When healthcare providers work with an MSP, they are entrusting the professional organization to ensure the smooth operation, maintenance, and security of the system. IT professional organizations will evaluate the IT infrastructure and look for ways to enhance or improve operations as well as find and address any vulnerabilities that can disrupt operations. As part of the regular maintenance, MSPs will perform upgrades where needed to keep your system running at optimum efficiency. They also provide 24/7 monitoring of the IT infrastructure to find and fix problems before they cause major issues like crashes that can have your system down or offline. If there is a major problem, MSPs provide IT disaster recovery to get your system back up and running and recover as much data as possible.
In the healthcare industry, cybersecurity is of the utmost importance. Patient data must be protected for the safety of your patients and your healthcare facility as the security measures in place must be HIPAA compliant. MSPs will boost cybersecurity footprint to better protect the IT system from data breaches and malware. They will implement a multi-layer security solution using state-of-the-art technology to address any vulnerabilities and ensure that your IT infrastructure is well protected.
MSP Healthcare Staffing
Some healthcare facilities may prefer to have an in-house IT staff to manage their IT infrastructure instead of handing the management of the system to a third party MSP. Healthcare providers who choose this route must make sure that they hire the best talent available to form their IT staff.
MSPs can help healthcare providers recruit and hire top IT talent with IT staffing services. IT staffing is when MSPs take a consultative role to help find skilled IT talent and provide healthcare facilities with candidates who they feel are the best fit for their needs. MSPs can help recruit full-time staff to manage their IT infrastructure as well as augment their current staff for a specific IT project or initiative.
In order to identify the best IT candidates for the needs of your healthcare facility, MSPs take the following approach to healthcare IT staffing:
- Technical and cultural discovery: MSPs will first assess the needs, goals, and technical challenges of your IT so they can find IT recruits that fit your needs. They will also understand the culture of your healthcare facility, including your story and mission, to find candidates who will also fit into the culture.
- Candidate sourcing: MSPs will look for candidates that have the credentials to be a great fit and recruit them.
- Candidate meetings: The candidates will meet with the MSP so they can be screened and assessed based on how well they will fit within your culture and suit your IT needs.
- Candidate placement: Candidates who pass the screening by the MSP are referred to healthcare facilities who will then talk to the candidates and decide who to hire.
What are the Benefits of MSP in Healthcare?
Entrusting the management of your IT infrastructure to an MSP can benefit your healthcare facility in several ways when it comes to patient care, security, and efficiency. The following are the main benefits of MSP in healthcare.
1.Better Patient Care
Patient care is the number one concern within all healthcare facilities. Medical technology continues to advance, and the use of new surgical techniques and machinery improves the quality of care patients receive which also increases life expectancy. For healthcare facilities to utilize the latest in medical technology, they need their IT infrastructure to be reliable.
Healthcare facilities cannot afford to have their IT system crash or go offline and they simply cannot devote the time and effort to maintaining and recovering their IT system when there are patients who need care. MSPs will ensure that the IT infrastructure is always up so that medical equipment can be used and healthcare professionals can devote more time to patient care.
2.Increased IT Efficiency
Having an MSP manage, upgrade, and maintain your IT infrastructure will greatly improve its efficiency in the following ways:
- Automate records: MSPs can implement and manage an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system that automatically collects and stores patient data and allows for easy access, eliminating time consuming manual record keeping.
- Reduce errors: It is impossible to completely eliminate errors within the IT system, but MSPs can greatly reduce errors to keep medical technology and equipment operating. Reducing the risk of errors is very important within the healthcare industry as certain errors could be a matter of life or death.
- Seamless communication: IT systems running at optimum efficiency ensure seamless, uninterrupted communication between healthcare workers which helps healthcare facilities provide better patient care.
3.Reduced IT Costs
MSPs can improve the efficiency of your IT system which reduces costs, lessens downtime, and improves turnaround time. One way MSPs save you time and money is by automating repetitive tasks so that you do not have to do tasks like data entry manually. Doctors can also do virtual visits with their patients which allows them to see more patients in less time.
4.Better Cybersecurity
Effective cybersecurity is crucial for healthcare providers as their networks need to be protected to ensure the operation of medical technology and protect sensitive patient data. The security provided by MSPs consists of cybersecurity of the network and disaster recovery.
- Network security: MSPs will evaluate the security of your network and implement multi-layered solutions to protect your network and secure sensitive patient data. The cybersecurity measures taken by MPSs will protect from data breaches and malware and help you stay in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
- Disaster recovery: MSPs can put a disaster recovery plan in place to help restore your system and recover lost data should a disaster occur. Disaster recovery plans typically include the following:
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- Alternative communication plan in case normal communication channels are disrupted
- Disaster response procedures
- Recovery time objective (RTO)
- Disaster recovery sites
- Hardware and software inventory
Interested in learning more? Check out our blog about Cyber Attacks in Healthcare: Causes and Solutions
Managed IT Services for Healthcare from PSM
Healthcare providers rely on their IT systems to ensure that their patients get the best possible treatment. Problems with their IT infrastructure can reduce the quality of patient care which in some scenarios can be a matter of life and death. Healthcare professionals should devote all their attention to caring for their patients, they should not be bothered with problems with their IT system.
You can call PSM Partners at (312) 940-7830 for more about our managed IT services for healthcare providers in the Chicago, IL area.