Call Sales: 704.719.2370For the past decade, healthcare practices have been eagerly adopting electronic health records (EHR). In fact, The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology (ONC) reported that EHR adoption has more than doubled since 2008, with 86% of office-based physicians using an EHR by 2017.
When transitioning to EHR, healthcare facilities are typically faced with two options: Hosting their EHR system on the cloud, or managing it in-house. While both types of EHR architecture have their pros and cons, more facilities are turning to 3rd-party providers for their EHR management needs. Let’s explore some of the added value expert EHR hosting providers bring to a healthcare provider’s record system.
The benefits of outsourcing EHR management
As EHR became widely accepted among healthcare providers and its overarching benefits became well known, more organizations questioned which EHR architecture was right for them. While in-house EHR systems give facilities control over their data and security, they are also a challenge to maintain and costly to deploy. For this reason, cloud-based EHR jumped in popularity from an adoption rate of 60% to 82% in only two years, according to EHR Intelligence.
Even today, outsourcing for EHR implementation support is still on the minds of health IT leaders, and a separate report from EHR Intelligence found that 32% of these decision-makers want to put in a request for said support. Using a well-connected service provider extends the usefulness of a practice’s EHR, and as more healthcare facilities understand this, the more readily they will work with an experienced host.
Here are five ways hosting can extend the usefulness of your EHR:
1. Expand your network
Cloud computing has grown in popularity among a number of industries because it enables, “ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources,” according to its definition from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. By moving your EHR system to the cloud with a trusted hosting provider, you can instantly expand your network to connect with other healthcare providers like labs, hospitals, specialists and HIEs.
This expansion is priceless, as it allows your EHR system to be bolstered by the knowledge and power of other healthcare providers involved. A knowledgeable solutions provider helps your EHR system work the way it’s intended and interface with other essential services and portals effortlessly.
2. Promote seamless collaboration
When an EHR is confined on-premises, healthcare centers often lose the ability to collaborate and seamlessly share data with other providers their patients may need to see. However, when this information is stored on the cloud, it makes it easier for healthcare providers to collaborate across departments and facilities. This, in turn, improves patient care by allowing everyone involved in the diagnostic and treatment process to have access to important medical information in which to base their decision(s).
3. Streamline provider workflow
Collaboration naturally helps providers streamline their workflow to provide faster, personalized care to their patients. By having access to the secure EHR from any desktop, laptop, mobile phone or tablet with an internet connection, healthcare providers can review their patient’s information easily to help them make an informed decision on their diagnosis or care plan. Instead of waiting for IT or another provider to pass on this information, authorized users can access it at their fingertips, improving their overall workflow.
4. Enhance your network’s security
An EHR system must be secure. Data breaches cost the healthcare industry $6.2 billion each year, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. The sensitive information an EHR system houses must be protected from malicious hackers who may hold data ransom or sell it. It can be difficult for one healthcare practice to monitor the infrastructure of their EHR system on their own, but a host can do it all. Furthermore, with everyone in the network utilizing a single, secure hosted platform, the chances for a major breach – even if it’s accidental – can be mitigated.
5. Receive IT support
An EHR is only as useful as it is secure, accessible and continuously updated. A hosting provider is also your IT support throughout the process and ensures you are getting the most from your partnership. While you focus on improving the quality of patient care, your hosting provider will be diligently performing upkeep on the EHR systems infrastructure.
Trust an expert hosting provider for your EHR
Tangible Solutions has been hosting EHR software for over two decades, so you can have the peace of mind that our expert team is diligently securing your records. From planning and deployment to expansion and maintenance, we are here to help make your transition to a cloud-based EHR system effortless.
By using both software and hardware, our hosting solution can be quickly deployed yet is scalable enough to accommodate future expansion. For more information about our hosting options, contact us today.
