Navigating Remote Healthcare: The Vital Role of MSPs

Ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic and fueled by its lingering impact, remote healthcare is steadily becoming the preferred care setting by patients and providers alike. Surveys and reports are proving it, too.

The 2023 State of Telemedicine Report reveals that 88% of U.S. physicians believe telemedicine has increased patient access to health care, specifically among populations facing barriers to care. Six out of ten physicians (61%) also report fewer patient no-shows as a result.

The Spherical Insights and Consulting report shows that the global remote healthcare market is expected to reach $33.5 Billion by 2032. 

Remote healthcare is here to stay. And if there’s one thing you need to tap its maximum potential, it’s information technology.



Remote Healthcare: Where Innovation Meets Compassion

Remote healthcare refers to delivering healthcare services and information through telecommunications and digital technologies. This approach enables healthcare professionals to interact with patients, diagnose medical conditions, provide treatment, and offer ongoing care when in-person visits become challenging or impractical.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services highlights the use of the following technologies for more efficient, more effective healthcare delivery even from a distance:

Telehealth

The  U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) defines telehealth as using electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health administration, and public health.

Telehealth leverages technologies like video conferencing, phone calls, secure messaging, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, and mobile applications to facilitate interaction between patient and provider.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

RPM is a revolutionary healthcare delivery model that uses advanced technology to track and monitor patients' health data outside traditional healthcare settings. It typically involves wearable sensors, mobile apps, and connected medical devices to collect and transmit real-time health data.

Because it allows one to remotely monitor a patient’s vital signs, medication adherence, and other relevant health metrics, RPM helps healthcare professionals provide timely intervention, practice proactive patient management, and deliver highly personalized care. 

Read More: 5 Tech Trends to Boost Healthcare Efficiency

What is a Managed IT Service Provider?

Remote healthcare is a complex and dynamic ecosystem that intertwines advanced technology, healthcare expertise, and patient-centric solutions. That said, you need more than just a regular IT person. You need a fully equipped, highly trained, and HIPAA-certified team of IT and cybersecurity professionals who specialize in healthcare technology.

Sounds expensive? That’s where a managed IT service provider (MSP) steps in.

An MSP is an organization that businesses contract to provide IT-related services such as network management, cybersecurity, data backup and recovery, cloud computing, and help desk support.

Rather than hiring an in-house IT department or calling a break/fix shop every time you encounter an issue, your practice can have a trusted MSP oversee and manage all your IT operations for you. 

Most MSPs typically follow a subscription-based or pay-as-you-go service payment model, where you pay a fixed monthly or annual fee for comprehensive IT services. Your practice can scale the service level up or down depending on your evolving needs.

By partnering with an established MSP specializing in healthcare IT, you can focus on your practice while relying on their expertise to ensure the security and efficiency of your technology.

Read More: What Are Managed IT Services?

How Can an MSP Help Healthcare Providers with Remote Care?

Managed IT service providers are crucial in maintaining and optimizing the underlying technology for remote healthcare delivery. 

Infrastructure Management

Your practice’s IT network should consistently provide the connectivity and resources you need for day-to-day operations, including access to your electronic health records (EHR), communication tools, and other critical applications. 

Reliability

• Can your network provide uninterrupted access to these systems?
• Can your computers handle the load your telehealth software demands?
• Can your team access data and applications without connection delays?

Security

• Are your computers and servers updated with the latest security patches?
• Is your network equipped with security tools like an antivirus, endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution, and multi-factor authentication?
• Do your firewall rulings only enable authorized ports?
• Do you encrypt the data transported over every telehealth session in your clinic?

Scalability

• Can your network accommodate a significant increase in users or devices without diminishing performance?
• Can your storage infrastructure handle additional data without compromising efficiency?
• Can your network easily integrate new technologies and applications as needed?
• Can your network handle increased activity without experiencing performance issues or bottlenecks?

An established healthcare MSP like ER Tech Pros helps you answer these questions with a confident YES.

As your IT solutions partner, we work closely with your team and technology vendors to ensure you can rely on your digital infrastructure to access patient records, communicate with colleagues, and utilize remote healthcare tools without worrying about unexpected performance issues, vulnerabilities, and disruptions.

Cybersecurity and Compliance

Protecting sensitive patient data is paramount in remote healthcare. MSPs specializing in healthcare IT implement robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard healthcare systems and ensure compliance with industry regulations.

It’s important to note that your MSP may not have control over the location and security of your telehealth and RPM data—these are managed and hosted by your selected vendor. However, your partner MSP can run assessments to see if your vendor’s data management practices are safe in terms of confidentiality, accessibility, and integrity. 

When it comes to the data they do have control over, a HIPAA-certified MSP like ER Tech Pros can ensure your clinic’s remote healthcare operates in a secure and compliant environment. Here are a few ways they do that:

• Risk Assessment and Management. MSPs conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities in the clinic's remote healthcare infrastructure. They evaluate security risks associated with data transmission, storage, and access, and develop strategies to mitigate these.

• Implementing Security Measures. MSPs implement robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard the clinic's remote healthcare environment. That includes deploying firewalls, encryption protocols, intrusion detection systems, and other cybersecurity tools to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats.

• Compliance Monitoring. MSPs specializing in healthcare stay abreast of industry regulations and ensure that your clinic's remote healthcare practices align with these compliance standards. That involves monitoring regulation changes, implementing necessary adjustments, and conducting regular compliance audits.

ER Tech Pros also helps protect your practice from insider threats by providing your staff with regular, comprehensive, and interactive cybersecurity awareness training.

Read More: Cybersecurity Essentials for Healthcare Practices 

24/7 IT Operations

In addition to being cost-efficient, managed IT has a distinct advantage over other service models in terms of availability. While break/fix solutions are available on an as-needed basis and in-house IT staff are unlikely to be available all the time, MSPs have an entire team of IT engineers catering to their client’s needs. They can remotely assist, access networks, and monitor your IT system around the clock.

ER Tech Pros, for example, has engineers working across six time zones. They offer 24/7 IT operations and can work on updates, patches, recoveries, and backups during off-hours.

MSPs are becoming a more popular option among healthcare organizations because they can address issues promptly and minimize disruptions in healthcare delivery. That involves troubleshooting software and hardware problems, assisting healthcare professionals, and ensuring that remote tools and technologies function optimally. Their all-day support and proactive approach improve your remote healthcare services' overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Read More: Top 3 IT Service Models: Which One Is Best for Your Business?

Take Your Practice to the Future with ER Tech Pros

As the global healthcare sector witnesses a post-COVID healthcare delivery transformation, clinics like yours are proactively embracing and incorporating remote services as an integral component of their patient care strategies.

One way forward-thinking practice managers do that is by forming a synergistic partnership with a tried-and-tested managed IT service provider. Together, you and your MSP can unlock the benefits of cutting-edge technologies and remote healthcare solutions and ensure a resilient and secure digital infrastructure for your clinic operations.

Leverage ER Tech’s extensive experience, state-of-the-art technology, HIPAA-compliant processes, and strong team of IT experts for your success. Stay at the forefront of healthcare advancements and deliver the quality of care your patients deserve. Partner with the leading MSP for healthcare today!