If you run a medical practice, you’re probably reminded daily how important IT is to the overall functionality of the office. Maybe your patients check in on an iPad, or the doctors and nurses take notes on laptops on a HIPAA-compliant software. Whatever it may be, having technology that can keep up with your needs while keeping your patients’ data secure is vital. Below, you will find a list of what IT can do for your company, as well as our suggestions for making sure your business is making the most of it.
1. Enhancing Patient Care
Patients can feel as though their sensitive information is safer when you can proudly say your IT is up-to-date and functioning properly. IT support can ensure that Electronic Health Records (EHRs) can provide streamlined access to patient histories, as well as improved accuracy and reduced errors. When these things move quickly and accurately, you can see patients quickly and increase both the number of patients you can see and the overall satisfaction of your patients. You can also expand your practice into the telemedicine industry, allowing more people to receive healthcare in a way that might work better for them than traditional office visits.
2. Improving Operational Efficiency
With functional IT management, you can automate many administrative tasks, such as appointment scheduling and reminders, and billing and insurance processing. A lot of medical practices now allow patients to make appointments online or pay their bills online through a patient portal, which is helpful to office administrators who may have a lot on their hands and could use the time it takes to do those tasks to handle other issues. You can also have better resource management, like the ability to easily track medical supply inventory, or efficiently allocate your staff and resources.
3. Ensuring Data Security & Compliance
Keeping your patients’ data safe, especially in a time where cybercriminals are smarter and sneakier than ever, is hard to do on your own without a managed service provider (MSP). You will need to spend a lot of time focusing on your cybersecurity, which will take away from the time you can spend focusing on your actual job. When you partner with an MSP that has an expertise in HIPAA compliance, you don’t have to worry if your patients’ information is safe; you can trust that it is. An MSP can also monitor your cybersecurity software for updates and perform regular security assessments to make sure everything is running to the best of its abilities.
4. Facilitating Communication & Collaboration
With managed IT services, you can also set up secure messaging systems for staff communication. This allows for better coordination between different departments, speeding up the process of providing care. Patient portals can also be utilized to help patients receive test results and more direct communication without having to go through the trouble of making an appointment or using confusing phone trees. This will increase patient satisfaction and engagement with your practice.
5. Adapting to Technological Advancements
With managed IT, you can continually improve your business with the latest technology innovations to help you stay on top of the competition. An MSP can help train your staff to utilize new tools effectively and watch for the latest trends in technology, such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in healthcare.
Overall, if you want your medical practice to reach its potential, your IT needs to be at the top of its game. You can have everything else right, but without the right software and technology, you still won’t be as efficient as you can be. A robust IT infrastructure allows your practice to thrive, and it will prepare your practice for the future as technology continues to weave its way further into the functions of IT.
If the state of your IT isn’t up to par, Straight Edge Technology can help you get there. We would be thrilled to send some of our team to shadow your practice for the day and help you create a solid roadmap to ensure your business not only survives, but thrives in the rapidly changing technological climate.
Reach out today through our online web forms or by calling us at our Corpus Christi number: (361) 653 – 1777 or our San Antonio number: (210) 904 – 9177
