Managing a healthcare facility or dental practice requires coordinating an array of finite details, but the success of your facility hinges on accuracy. This is especially true as technology improves and increases our dependence on computers, servers, and equipment being online at all times. Although this transition to digital has vastly improved patient outcomes and staff efficiency, it adds another layer of complexity to healthcare management.
Dealing with your information technology (IT) needs in-house has complex pros and cons, especially because of how much technology changes. There are many reasons not to hire your own staff. It may be a waste of time and money if your IT needs are only occasional and your facility is already short on space.
Outsourced IT support services can help improve your practice’s overall efficiency and give you access to more expert knowledge than you could get with an internal team. Partnering with an IT support services team that specialises in healthcare gives you the technical expertise you need to stay relevant and effective in the modern healthcare industry.
Healthcare IT Needs
Improving patient outcomes in the 21st century hinges on staff members at a healthcare practice and their ability to learn and manage new technologies. This includes imaging technology, accurate records-keeping for eHealth PIP and Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR), computer-guided treatment methods, and more.
However, even well-trained staff may run into problems when the technology doesn’t work as planned. Software glitches, internet connection issues, server problems, and even hardware problems can interfere with your staff’s ability to do their jobs. In severe cases, they can even have an adverse impact on patient outcomes.
Your medical practice IT must be handled securely and take advantage of all possible security options. This may mean revamping your staff credential systems to balance ease of access with security.
Healthcare and dental practices also have unique needs due to the amount of mobile technology involved. Although most tablets and laptops are intuitive, the unique nature of healthcare and dental software means that users may need additional support regularly. One of the many benefits of outsourcing is that you can rely on a knowledgeable team to provide this high level of support.
What Outsourcing Can Do?
Relying on a single IT specialist can cause problems for your organisation if someone calls in sick or doesn’t have the expertise necessary to deal with a particular situation. Even 2-3 specialists might not be sufficient to handle an issue if they are dealing with a system-wide problem affecting multiple staff members and departments or coping with a rollout of a new mobile system.
Having a larger team available through outsourced IT support services makes it easier to contact someone who can deal with the issue quickly without being distracted by other vital tasks. You can reduce downtime and overall stress by working with a firm that has flexible team members.
Why Partner With a Specialist in Healthcare?
Healthcare involves an intricate combination of hardware and software that is unlike any other industry. The amount of precision required in medical instrumentation is critical to accurate diagnosis and treatment. Any technical issues with the software, hardware, or records can result in substandard results and violate patients’ expectations in your organisation.
Standard IT companies may know a lot about internet security and office software, but they don’t usually have experience in the interfaces and connections required for healthcare IT. This knowledge gap can have consequences when your organisation needs to get back up and running as soon as possible.
If you’re moving between medical practice management suites, you need someone well-versed in both your old system and your new system. Only managed IT services that specialise in healthcare will handle this transition with maximum efficiency and accuracy.
Supporting Dental Practices
Because of the wide range of equipment and software used by dental practices, getting an IT specialist who understands your needs may seem like a challenge. A team with in-depth knowledge of dental practice equipment provides optimal results without a steep learning curve. This means that they can get you back online quickly whenever a problem arises with your equipment.
Radiography and dental equipment for dentistry are different from the equipment present in an average medical practice. Outsourced IT support services with detailed knowledge of this equipment can keep you up and running. Other manufacturers have different user interfaces and even hardware needs, so trying to keep track of them all yourself or expecting one team member to remember isn’t practical long-term.
Keep in mind that any system downtime can seriously affect the patient experience, even for routine procedures on clients. Anxiety during dental visits is already high for many patients, and if they see or hear about an issue with imaging or records software, their stress level will increase. To keep patient trust high, partner with a dental practice IT company that keeps all your front desk and office operations running smoothly.
General Security Concerns
As cybercrime threats increase around the world, businesses with poor security are being targeted by skilled hackers. Although the most significant threats are against companies with high-profit margins, healthcare practices could find themselves targeted as well. Patient records, financial data, and other sensitive information could be held hostage or outright stolen.
An experienced IT support services company will help protect you from data breaches and other online threats. Industry-specific comprehensive solutions hone in on multiple aspects of your practice’s security, including everything from your Wi-fi network connections to your software credentials. Managed IT services can make in-depth recommendations to keep your team performing efficiently while still maintaining best practices for data security.
Outsourced IT Support Services in Melbourne
If you outsource your administrative and equipment IT work, you can see huge returns on your investment in efficiency compared to the cost of having your own IT in-house. Urban IT specialises in business and healthcare practice IT for various facilities, including small practices. We can supplement your team’s existing expertise or provide you with a full range of managed IT services to cover your ongoing IT needs.
We are well-versed in various dental practice systems, including Oasis, Exact, D4W, and much more. The depth and range of our knowledge make us a leading provider among IT support services for small businesses.
We understand the importance of providing reliable outsourced tech support solutions for healthcare practices and make quality customer service a priority for all the organisations we serve. Contact us today to learn more about outsourcing to our proactive managed IT services solutions to benefit you, your team and improve your patients’ experience.
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