More healthcare organizations than ever before are taking advantage of the benefits of outsourcing IT. Data from Penn State University shows that 93% of hospitals were considering outsourcing at least some part of their IT needs—and that’s just the tip of the outsourcing IT services iceberg.
The benefits of IT outsourcing cover everything from 24/7 monitoring to being easily scalable as your healthcare organization grows. If your healthcare organization isn’t already outsourcing, you should consider these key advantages that working with the right healthcare outsourcing partner can provide.
1. 24/7 Monitoring
One of the top answers to “what are the benefits of outsourcing IT services” is 24/7 monitoring. Maintaining 24/7 staff availability is impossible for many organizations and not an efficient option for many others.
The benefits of outsourcing IT support provide 24/7 availability, ensuring that your vital systems keep running at all times. Monitoring for IT issues and security threats protects the integrity of your onsite and cloud services, even when you aren’t in the office.
2. Scalable Services
Many companies outsource to scale easily. Another firm’s expertise can be wired into the hiring company’s infrastructure. Hardware, software, networking, and other infrastructure all take time and money to install and modify. Relying on your own purchasing and acquisitions can make pivoting quickly a significant challenge.
93% of Hospitals Are Planning to Outsource Their IT
One of the benefits of outsourcing IT departments is that your organization doesn’t have to invest in and install this infrastructure. Instead, your managed services provider (MSP) can instantly allocate additional resources where needed, allowing you to seamlessly expand patient recordkeeping and other essential IT functions.
3. Reduced Costs
When considering the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing the IT function of your organization, cost is one of the top considerations. You can reduce costs in many ways by outsourcing, thanks to reducing labor costs by avoiding the expense of an in-house IT team.
You also avoid costs associated with hiring and training, along with the savings that come with improved security, protecting against the penalties that come with data breaches and failed compliance.
4. Security and Compliance
Maintaining HIPAA compliance and other aspects of security and confidentiality is a core business requirement for any healthcare organization. Even small businesses require the same robust protection that larger organizations have.
This can present a major challenge, but one that managed IT services can resolve. You can enjoy improved onsite and cloud security, remote monitoring, and patch and system management to prevent the breach of client data, credit card numbers, PHI, and other data.
5. Seamless Billing
Medical billing can be time-consuming and carries a significant risk of human error. You can manage and automate billing through outsourced IT services to reduce mistakes, improve collections, and provide a better patient experience.
Integrating e-prescription support makes the process even more beneficial for you and your patients—billing remains error-free and straightforward.
6. The Latest Technology
Another one of the benefits of outsourcing IT infrastructure is that you always have the latest technology, rather than leaving data vulnerable on out-of-date storage options. Investing in your own infrastructure means waiting to replace solutions until cost-effective, leading to outdated hardware and software use.
With a healthcare MSP, you can be sure that you always have access to the latest resources. This enables your healthcare organization to provide the highest quality service and experience for your patients.
7. Expert Support
Even if you have an in-house IT team, there’s only so much they can do. Working with an MSP for your technical support ensures that you have access to a broader range of experts with skills that can address any problem.
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You’ll always have access to support with years of experience in the specific software or system at hand. This means less downtime when something goes wrong and increased resilience in your vital IT resources.
8. Remote Access
Research by McKinsey shows that between 27 and 31% of healthcare employees have the option to work from home. As remote work continues to increase in the long term, putting practical solutions in place is essential for both usability and security.
Many healthcare organizations lack the project management capabilities to develop their own solutions. Working with a healthcare MSP can provide remote access solutions on proven platforms that meet your operational and compliance needs.
9. Tailored Solutions
Working with a healthcare MSP for outsourcing ensures your needs are carefully evaluated. What your practice needs, with potentially only a few staff members, is going to be different than the demands of a hospital with several dozen staff.
Your MSP can match you with specific hardware, software, and networking solutions. In some cases, custom software development provides an even more tailored solution.
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What to Look for to Gain the Full Benefits of Outsourcing IT
Your organization can take advantage of these benefits of outsourcing IT services, but you need to be sure that you find the right healthcare MSP. You need to find an MSP that isn’t just a vendor—you need someone who works as your IT partner.
Experience is one of the most important things to look for because you need a team that you know you can rely on. You need an MSP that can successfully manage complete lifecycle support for your IT and that requires experienced professionals across several key fields.
You also want a healthcare MSP that provides the versatility you need. Flexible contracts, scalability, and a range of service and technology options are vital to ensure the success of your healthcare organization’s IT services.
ISOwire provides all of these key characteristics and more. We can develop a custom solution that addresses your healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure and workflow with industry-leading technologies and expertise. Book an initial consultation with one of our experts today.
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