Healthcare organisations have to be very careful about protecting patient data and ensuring that their systems meet numerous regulatory and compliance standards. IT professionals play an important role in doing this, but they face a range of challenges which can make this difficult. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at these challenges and explore how they can be overcome.
IT professionals in the healthcare sector have a daunting task. Not only do they need to manage their day-to-day duties, but they also need to remain aware of the ever-changing regulations and compliance standards that must be adhered to in order to protect patient data. This requires IT teams to check for updates or amendments, but also have a thorough understanding of all their organisation's infrastructure, data, and security policies. This will also need to be considered when any new technology or process changes are implemented.
Another challenge is managing multiple devices and locations. Healthcare organisations can have a range of different systems and devices that all need to be compliant with regulations. This includes everything from servers and workstations to smartphones and tablets used by doctors and other staff.
This challenge has also been exacerbated by the increase of hybrid working, which increases the complexity of ensuring that systems and data remain compliant, as there are now multiple points of entry into the organisation's network. Similarly, many organisations are now operating Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. In a BYOD environment, staff are allowed to use their own personal devices to access protected data and systems within the organisation. This increases the complexity of IT management due to the different operating systems and hardware specs that need to be monitored and kept compliant.
Of course, all of this is very time-consuming, and IT professionals in healthcare organisations are often stretched thin. They have to not only manage compliance and regulations, but also deal with day-to-day IT issues and problems. This can make it difficult for them to keep up with all the regulatory changes and potentially put the organisation at risk. Non-compliance can be a serious issue for healthcare organisations - it can result in big fines, legal action, or security breaches that can harm patients and future business.
So, how can these challenges be overcome?
Organisations can mitigate these risks by partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) with experience in providing services to the healthcare industry. An MSP can help by monitoring and maintaining all their systems, providing regular compliance assessments, making sure everything is up-to-date with the latest regulations, and ensuring that all devices and locations are compliant. MSPs can lift the burden for internal teams, enabling them to focus on business innovation whilst keeping your organisation compliant and secure.
Conclusion
The challenges of compliance and regulation for IT professionals in the healthcare sector will remain a priority due to the growing emphasis being placed on privacy and security. It is a continuous process which involves regular audits and process updates, which can be time-consuming and complex, but the risks of non-compliance are just too great. MSPs with experience in the industry can be the perfect solution - enabling internal teams to focus on their core responsibilities while keeping sensitive patient data secure and meeting all regulatory requirements.
Why Advanced?
In today’s world it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the ever changing technology landscape. Companies feel the burden of the everyday, yet want to continue to take their next step and drive innovation.
At Advanced we focus on people, giving you access to subject experts and enabling you to deliver your technology objectives faster. Our team are always available to advise, unafraid of complexity, and constantly focused on driving your business forwards.
No matter what your objectives are, together we make IT work.
Through our range of security, modern workplace, cloud, app modernisation and managed services, you can lean on our unique expertise to create an empowering roadmap, unlocking the capacity and flexibility to take your business into a stronger future.
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