So many people go on about how IT outsourcing in healthcare gives you the opportunity to shrink your IT department, and it does, but it also does so much more. Outsourcing to the cloud is more than just getting rid of a few employees; it is about a different mindset when it comes to allocating IT resources. It is time management, a better allocation of resources, and a level of expertise that is beneficial to your facility.

Mobile Devices

Healthcare facilities are on the move. They are building more facilities, merging with other larger corporations, acquiring clinics, and creating partnerships with independent physicians. Besides that, doctors are becoming more mobile. With accessibility options connected to their laptops, smart phones and tablets, they are able to link to patient data wherever they are. Some doctors find that they can perform house calls, but not to the patients house, calls from the doctor’s house. This is still not typical, but when the doctor cannot come into the office for the day, it does not mean they cannot work.

IT outsourcing is a leader in virtual desktops; where the doctor can do everything from a private computer at home. They log in and they are looking at the same application, logs, patient data as they would see if they were in the practice office or hospital space.

Virtual Expertise

The virtual laptop is just one of the features IT outsourcing provides, but one of the biggest advantages to using a cloud provider is the expertise of the personnel. Some IT techs may know how to perform certain functions of a virtual computer, but cloud providers specialize in this technology. Virtual computers and laptops are more commonplace, and there is no reason to send IT technicians out to be certified on the protocols and technologies when your cloud provider has all the information and know-how already in place. Find out more, subscribe to the TOSS C3 blog.

Security and HIPAA

This used to be a concern for healthcare facilities, but as enterprises dropped billions of dollars into the cloud, software companies came out in force. The technologies behind the security of healthcare facilities are tough as iron. Of course, hackers are good at what they do, but cloud providers have many options available to them and to their clients to ensure no one gets into their network. When talking to your cloud provider, just make sure they are HIPAA compliant, and that they know the procedures required when it comes to disaster recovery and business continuity.

Scalability and Manageability

This is one of the biggest advantages of IT outsourcing. Imagine the ability to only pay for what you use. If your healthcare facility merges with another company, all your applications, security, and procedures can be loaded to the new machines in days. Likewise, if your company sells part of their network, they can easily have everything removed, and the cost would go down. IT personnel are not required to remove the data, to climb under desks, or wait for tickets to appear before they can do anything.

IT outsourcing is an organic creature. It does so much already, but it continues to grow. More applications are constantly coming out to improve the control the cloud has over IT departments. IT outsourcing provides on-demand services with qualified personnel that protect your data, analyze your traffic and compliance regulations, and keeps the cost flexible based on your company’s needs.