If you run a healthcare business, you might discover that IT is a big responsibility to keep in-house. Likewise, in-house IT teams often struggle with the workload of handling an entire hospital or healthcare practice's technology needs.
However, if you are looking at different IT support for medical practices, you may already have an IT department you want to keep. The good news is that many businesses bring on outsourced IT support to assist their existing IT team with both day-to-day issues and long-term projects.
This is called semi-outsourced IT. If you have an existing IT team for your healthcare practice, here's why it may be in your best interest to integrate an outsourced service to supplement your capabilities.
What Roadblocks Do Managed IT Services for Healthcare Address?
Managed IT has become a popular service for healthcare companies, due to the complexity of "Internet of Things" (IoT) devices that connect to business networks. These may look like digital heart rate monitors, printers, and other network endpoints.
Managed IT solutions for the healthcare industry address a wide range of technical needs, offering technical assistance centers staffed with the best and brightest technology professionals. Some of these needs may include:
- Long-term technology projects like cloud migration
- Workflow optimization
- Governance, risk & compliance needs
- Interoperability needs for different programs and devices
Governing entities are taking healthcare cybersecurity compliance much more seriously in light of recent devastating attacks to businesses in the industry. Learn more about common issues hospitals and other healthcare businesses may face in our blog: The Ultimate Guide to Data Security in Healthcare
Data Security in Healthcare
These smart devices can cause technical snags as well as cyber attacks, since they often don't come with sophisticated cybersecurity features to protect them from malicious cyber activity.
According to IDC, 70% of cyber attacks originate from network endpoints, putting industries that rely on modern technology at greater risk for cyber attacks. Data breaches can be especially harmful in healthcare due to the sensitive nature of patient data.
Cyber criminals target health businesses the most because of this. To learn more about data security in healthcare and how to mitigate your risk of falling victim, read our blog: Is Cybersecurity Really That Big of a Deal In Healthcare? Risks of Healthcare Data Breaches
What is Semi-Outsourced IT?
Semi-outsourced IT is a way for your internal team to bolster cybersecurity, long-term project planning, and innovation while leveraging internal resources.
In-house IT can offer more control over decision-making, which is a major draw for businesses to keep their internal team. However, even the most seasoned IT professionals don't bring the same training and expertise as a fully staffed outsourced team.
If your IT needs have outpaced your internal department's workload capacity, you might consider bringing on more staff to accommodate for your growth.
However, many businesses have found this to be less cost-effective than bringing on outsourced support. See if you're making key IT staffing mistakes in our blog: Are You Spending Too Much on In-House IT?
Semi-Outsourced IT vs Fully Managed IT Solutions for Healthcare
If you have an existing IT team, you may be hesitant to hand over the keys to an IT management company. Business owners often worry that a lack of oversight could lead to cut corners, less control over decisions, and ambiguity over how your IT budget is spent.
For this reason, semi-outsourced IT can be the best of both worlds. For example, supplementing with healthcare IT security companies can allow healthcare businesses to have internal oversight and strong cybersecurity capabilities.
To see a full comparison of in-house vs managed IT, read our blog: Outsourced Managed IT services VS. In-house IT support
How to Find Semi-Managed IT Support for Healthcare
In light of all the IT needs and security issues in the healthcare sector, it's more important than ever to be intentional with information technology. IT services can offer several benefits such as:
- Better protection and handling of Electronic Health Records (EHR)
- Mitigation of cyber threats such as ransomware attacks through industry-leading network security tools and practices
- Day-to-day support for technical issues that could negatively impact patient care
- Digital transformation to optimize user experience for healthcare professionals
If you're ready to explore the possibilities for creating your ideal IT strategy, click the button below to speak to an experienced technology expert.
