Does this sound familiar? You’re an IT leader or manager tasked with creating more opportunities for digital cohesion while spending less money. If that sounds like an all-too-familiar pain point, you’re not alone: According to Becker’s Hospital Review, this is the current situation for anyone in healthcare leadership shouldered with this responsibility. Those in healthcare leadership are expected to stretch their dollars as far as they can without sacrificing the quality that their end users (i.e. practitioners and their patients) need to secure the best care possible.
Whether you’re running a smaller practice or managing a larger healthcare organization, you’ll need an IT solution that will encompass a wide swath of digital and technological needs for your end user base that will reduce operational costs. That’s where an outsourced managed IT services provider comes into play: The right IT services for healthcare organizations can take the stress of tasks like Level 1 tickets or data analysis off the backs of your administrative staff, while remaining compliant with the privacy standards of HIPAA. It will augment the work you do, and show the utmost respect for that sensitive, private medical data that your providers and their patients exchange every day.
If the health of your organization relies on a smooth service desk experience for patients and physicians alike, keep reading to learn about four benefits that you can glean from leveraging a third-party service desk provider.
Benefit #1: Offloading Interruptive Tasks
Experienced outsourced providers bring various tools to the table that enable central monitoring and managing endpoints, servers and infrastructure. These tools all tie back to the Service Desk for immediate notification of issues, and for escalation to the appropriate teams. Outsourced IT solutions for healthcare can also tackle:
- Central management of operating systems and third-party patching
- Anti-virus security
- Disk encryption
- Blocking of web vector threats
Benefit #2: Customized Communication
As an IT leader, you’ll want to look for a provider with an implementation plan that includes in-depth investigation into your organization’s unique needs and workflows. Implementation should not be rushed; rather, it should be executed in a way that enables the outsourced team to be effective from day one, and without disruption. That’s why it’s crucial to choose an MSP with a low turnover rate. The longer a team of support personnel can work with a specific client, the more intimately they’ll become acquainted with the client’s environment. Finally, this kind of partner will have the benefit of objectively learning and understanding overall best practices that can optimize service delivery and drive positive results.
Benefit #3: Reduced Operational Costs
Outsourced fixed pricing is often far more attractive than maintaining full-time employees, especially when you consider factors such as:
- Burden
- Taxes
- Benefits
- Management effort
- Training
- Recruitment costs
By using an outsourced provider, you can access models that meet the unique needs and budget of a healthcare organization— such as a shared Service Desk team, a fully dedicated team, or a hybrid approach. Keep in mind that many types of tickets can be resolved remotely versus in person, and that automation and the use of advanced technologies within IT support deliver overall lower costs. That means that a good service partner should monitor ongoing results and provide strategic recommendations for improvement.
Benefit #4: Improved Flexibility and Scalability
When you outsource your IT service desk, you allow for greater flexibility in scaling to the exact staffing levels that will appropriately meet sustained volume trends. The outsourced provider will take on the responsibility of recruitments efforts that will ultimately allow healthcare staff to focus on their own day-to-day tasks that drive the organization towards success. Additionally, the right third-party partner for your healthcare organization will act as a reliable partner, even during the implementation process. In fact, an MSP should be looking for ways to integrate flexibility and scalability into their implementation planning to properly future proof your organization for whatever may come, and right from day one.
Improving Your Organization’s Tech Vitals
If your organization isn’t in perfect health when it comes to your IT service desk, there’s never a better time than right now to get started with improving it. By properly leveraging a suitable third-party service desk provider, you’ll be able to leave your own talented staff the space to do their everyday tasks and duties without disruption— all while benefitting from open communication, improved costs, and more avenues to remain nimble and adaptable. If you’re ready to find your healthcare system’s tech “pulse”, contact Mechdyne today: we’re here to help you on the road to (very healthy) success.