Finding the best IT support for a healthcare organization can be supremely challenging, with too many MSPs (managed service providers) ultimately underequipped to meet the unique needs of different medical facilities, services, etc. More important than choosing a provider based on their available solutions, however, is working with one that has the expertise, experience and strategic knowledge to tailor implementation and maintenance around your particular pain points. When you work with a partner who understands the ins and outs of your technology infrastructure and requirements, you ensure that you will get the most out of your investment in the right tools.
Top IT Solutions for Healthcare Organizations
There are many different types of IT solutions to choose from if you are in the healthcare industry, so much so that it can be difficult to fully grasp how each contributes to maintaining your operations – or which is actually a priority requirement. Unfortunately, the reality is that many medical facilities and institutions are inherently in a vulnerable position when it comes to cybersecurity that is only becoming more serious as threats evolve, yet this can also overshadow additional technology needs that help your organization function efficiently.
Here is a list of the broad IT solution categories every healthcare facility should have in place:
IT Helpdesk & Support
The most basic of the basic of network support is also often the most critical need for any organization, but especially so in the modern medical industry where a variety of systems and data are involved in running day-to-day patient care operations and reporting. Delays or widespread downtime can become a literal matter of life or death in many situations, so having access to IT helpdesk services available around the clock is paramount to keeping everything running smoothly. This includes being able to choose between remote or onsite assistance options as needed, as not every service provider is able to offer this.
Network Management & Monitoring
Modern healthcare organizations host multiple different networked assets and applications, from medical imaging devices to electronic prescription systems, and most of these require continuous availability as well as redundancy to ensure continued operability. Network monitoring and management services keep a close eye over this entire ecosystem and its connections both going in and out, with dedicated NOC and SOC teams helping to safeguard sensitive data as well as performance. Regular system health checks and documentation for all procedures also ensure that nothing will fall through the gaps, preserving your network integrity continuously.
Workstation & Device Management
The IT ecosystem for a healthcare environment such as a hospital will include multiple physical endpoints from official workstations and personal devices to connected partner systems and third-party databases. A managed service provider will help you stay on top of these assets to maintain performance, security and compliant data management, balancing the technical and administrative requirements like account maintenance or software license renewals. This includes managing updates and patch deployment on individual machines, maintaining content and virus filters for email accounts and website browsers, endpoint protection applications and more.
IT Infrastructure Support
Healthcare organizations rely on an often deep and complex IT infrastructure to support different components, including electronic health records, imaging systems and other critical applications and hardware. A trusted MSP will not only help to monitor and maintain these assets to preserve performance and uptime, but will also oversee relationships with your technology vendors to take managing additional workflows off of your team’s plate and take the lead on securing support, discounted purchase or subscription rates, and more as needed. Additionally, some service providers will offer regular comprehensive reviews of your infrastructure to ensure it is still returning the best value of your investment as well as help you to get ahead of any compliance concerns from regulatory changes.
Access Management & Authentication
Perhaps more than in almost any other industry besides finance, the data your team collects is critically sensitive and must be protected stringently and meticulously to avoid breaching your patients’ privacy and violating compliance with laws concerning PHI (protected health information). This creates a persistent demand for proper security policy implementation, including managing strict access permissions to various applications that contain digital records as well as deploying multiple layers of authentication, while still ensuring that users can log into the systems they need to do their jobs effectively. These processes must also be continuous and require regular reviews, as well as secure documentation to ensure that credentials are not forgotten about once employees leave.
Data Protection, Backup & Recovery Solutions
The biggest challenges for securing data come from the fact that it is everywhere and there are many ways it could become exposed, from simple benign human error to a full-blown cyber attack aimed at vulnerable systems, in addition to the risk of natural disasters potentially disrupting or destroying stored files. Countering these threats requires comprehensive recovery planning that goes beyond simple one-time backup solutions, with clear retention and restoration policies in place that account for all possible circumstances. Protection strategies must also consider the lifecycles of data at rest or in transit between applications, with encryption policies tailored to secure the places where information becomes most vulnerable.
Compliance & Security Auditing
Healthcare organizations face strict regulatory requirements including HIPAA and PCI (payment card industry) compliance concerning personal and financial information obtained from patients, creating obligations for implementing and maintaining systematic security policies and documentation. A knowledgeable MSP will enable you to scale these processes and take over the heavy lifting, leveraging best practice frameworks like NIST to audit your existing controls and establish new procedures that meet regulatory benchmarks. A service provider will also help you build a program that addresses external and internal threats according to compliance requirements, and provide additional solutions to ensure you meet your obligations.
IT Consultation & Implementation
The most effective IT consultation will combine technical expertise and best practice with knowledge of your industry pain points in healthcare. This includes consideration of staffing requirements, training needs and change management factors that impact technology adoption. Implementation planning should address both technical deployment steps and operational transition requirements, including defining clear success criteria, establishing testing procedures and developing training materials tailored to your different user groups.
Why Choose SWK Technologies as Your IT Solution Provider?
SWK Technologies delivers healthcare-focused IT solutions that address the unique challenges medical organizations face today. Our managed services include reliable network support, proactive monitoring through dedicated NOC and SOC teams, and strategic technology planning that helps you align with both your operational needs and compliance requirements.
Contact SWK here to learn how our SOC 2 certified services will help you maintain peace of mind, allowing you to focus on what you do best.