The Top 5 Benefits of Managed IT for Healthcare Organizations

For healthcare providers, investing in robust and reliable IT infrastructure is critical. However, developing and maintaining an in-house IT department requires significant capital and specialized expertise that can be hard to source locally. 

This is where partnering with a managed IT services provider, like CodexIT, can make a big difference. Managed IT services provide healthcare organizations with a range of benefits that can improve operations, reduce costs, and enhance patient care. 

Keep reading to learn the top five advantages of leveraging managed IT services!

1. Reduced IT Costs 

Setting up and managing an in-house IT infrastructure is an expensive endeavor. Managed services provide IT support and expertise potentially without the overhead of hiring specialized staff. 

Outsourcing IT through a managed services provider can cost less than maintaining an in-house IT department. However, the exact cost savings will depend on factors like current staffing, the managed provider’s pricing model, and the specific solutions deployed. 

Healthcare providers should research options closely, but in our experience working with an outsourced IT managed service provider is less expensive and a greater ROI over in-house services.

2. Enhanced Data Security

Protecting sensitive patient health information is a top priority. Managed IT services can employ advanced security tools and practices to help keep data safe. 

This may include firewalls to filter network traffic, threat monitoring to identify anomalies, access controls to restrict data, and encryption to safeguard information. With robust security protocols in place, healthcare providers can aim to avoid data breaches and support HIPAA compliance.

Ongoing security awareness training can also educate staff on best practices for handling patient information securely. By partnering with a provider focused on healthcare, organizations can potentially leverage industry expertise and tailored services for protecting health data. 

However, organizations should carefully vet providers to ensure they offer the appropriate security measures to meet healthcare’s stringent regulatory and privacy standards. The key is having reliable security that allows healthcare providers to prevent breaches, maintain compliance, and give patients confidence that their data is properly safeguarded. 

Managed IT services for healthcare can offer the skills and solutions to achieve these critical security goals.

3. Improved Infrastructure Reliability

System downtime can severely impact healthcare operations and patient care. Managed IT services may utilize monitoring tools to help proactively detect and address problems before they cause disruptions. 

With 24/7 monitoring and support, issues may potentially get resolved more quickly to maximize uptime. However, reliability depends on the effectiveness of the managed provider’s solutions, staffing levels, and response capabilities. 

Healthcare organizations should research the provider’s track record with existing clients to better understand their reliability rates and recovery time objectives. Detail-oriented service level agreements are also key to ensuring satisfactory uptime and performance.

In the end, while outsourcing daily IT management tasks has the potential to improve reliability compared to in-house staff, healthcare providers need to thoroughly evaluate partners to determine the best solution for their infrastructure needs and uptime requirements.

4. Access to Expert IT Professionals

IT systems and solutions are growing increasingly complex, making it difficult for healthcare organizations to find qualified IT talent. Managed services provide access to highly skilled IT professionals with experience serving the healthcare industry. 

This level of expertise is difficult to build and maintain internally. However, the depth of expertise can vary significantly between managed services providers.

Healthcare practices should vet the provider’s team to ensure they possess the right technical certifications, healthcare industry training, and experience supporting clinical environments. Ultimately, partnering with a managed services provider that invests heavily in IT talent and understands healthcare workflows can provide valuable expertise, but organizations need to confirm capabilities.

5. Increased Focus on Core Healthcare Services

For healthcare providers, the priority is delivering quality care to patients. Managing IT systems can be burdensome and divert focus from core competencies.

With managed IT services for healthcare, IT tasks are handled by specialists who are trained on the exact diagnostic and procedural equipment used in your clinic, enabling healthcare organizations to concentrate on patient care and better health outcomes.

However, the provider should take a collaborative approach and integrate with the healthcare organization’s workflows. The best solutions will align IT with overall clinical objectives rather than be disjointed. 

Healthcare providers should look for a partner that provides strategic guidance beyond just tactical IT support. Finding a managed services provider that understands the healthcare environment allows organizations to focus on patients while leveraging specialized expertise to strengthen their technology capabilities.

For today’s healthcare landscape, having reliable and secure IT systems is a must. Partnering with managed IT services provider CodexIT offers healthcare providers a smart, affordable way to meet IT needs and drive organizational success.