IT Resources for Healthcare Services Battling COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by surprise. Many healthcare providers and partners are being overwhelmed in their efforts to stem the daily flood of coronavirus cases. And even those who aren’t directly treating the coronavirus are being affected by social distancing mandates and increased cyber attacks.

The more healthcare businesses can make use of the new and improved IT resources to aid their processes, the better they will be able to adapt and continue serving their patients. Here are some IT resources that healthcare providers can utilize to help their processes and security during COVID-19.

Communication Resources

Telehealth services are becoming more necessary and available to allow for remote patient monitoring and real-time communication between patients and clinicians. They allow healthcare professionals to continue helping their patients on a regular basis, even when at-risk patients may be required to stay home to protect their health. To effectively implement telehealth tools, healthcare providers generally need to have an effective video chat system and phone network in place to both meet with patients and use automatic screening tools.

One of the best methods of achieving this is through the use of a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system. This is a telephone platform that is connected by your internet network, which provides a more flexible and higher quality phone service than other systems.

A VoIP system will also allow you to set up an automated assistance system, which you can use to help callers screen their symptoms and recognize when they should come to your hospital or clinic in person. This automatic response system is invaluable for hospitals that are currently overwhelmed with potential patients that need to be tested for COVID-19.

Cybersecurity Resources

The issue of cybersecurity has come under the spotlight once again during this coronavirus pandemic as many healthcare specialists are finding their IT networks vulnerable to attacks. Organizations across the world, including the World Health Organization, are being consistently and increasingly targeted, and there has been a reported 667% increase in phishing attacks since the virus began to spread.

The best things that modern healthcare businesses can do to guard against these threats is upgrade their cybersecurity. Anti-malware software is the first step, but software alone won’t be comprehensive enough to stop persistent cyber attacks. Services including spam filtering, network security and monitoring, and cybersecurity risk assessments can help protect your company and drastically reduce the risk of cyber breaches.

Remote Work Resources

As a result of enforced lockdowns across the world, more and more businesses are turning to remote working to keep their companies going. Although doctors on the front line and many other medical professionals require in-person interaction, many administrative positions may have the option to be performed remotely. Remote resources have also been used to set up temporary screening checkpoints for areas where hospitals have been overwhelmed.

These resources include the following tools:

• VPNs, or virtual private networks, which protect your data from public networks by encrypting it
• Remote desktop services, which allow you to access data and even use high-powered programs remotely
• Enhanced communication tools such as VoIP and video chat systems, as well as comprehensive team communication platforms
• Firewalls and other basic online security services

Transitioning to remote work may be more complicated for medical offices than other industries due to required HIPAA compliance. Healthcare providers need to put the best security measures in place to protect patient data and comply with HIPAA from remote workstations, just as they do in their regular offices.

We’re Here to Help

Total IT is here to help your healthcare organization quickly and efficiently set up the IT solutions you need to effectively battle COVID-19.

With well-organized IT systems in place, you can focus on aiding your patients knowing that you have the best possible technology solutions backing you up. At Total IT, we are experienced in the IT resources that can help your healthcare organization adapt and improve, especially during this crisis.

Updating your IT now will go a long way toward helping you grow as a healthcare business both now and in the future, and Total IT is the trusted Dallas IT support company that can help you with the very best IT care and solutions. Contact us today for a free quote and consultation to get the technology solutions your business needs.