5 Ways IT Outsourcing Improves Clinic Productivity

Most clinics are understaffed and overworked, so IT is usually a shared responsibility.

While not every business should outsource its technology, certain organizations, particularly those in healthcare, reach a point where they need to outsource some, or even all, of their IT.

How do you determine if that is you? And when is the right time to make that move?

How to Tell When It’s Time to Outsource Your IT

IT can become a roadblock for your organization when its growth stagnates or it isn't meeting your expectations.

It can be difficult to find qualified IT staff quickly while managing your current in-house team at the same time. In addition, the process of recruiting, training, and integrating new people can take a while.

Some businesses can grow steadily without having to outsource their IT. Your challenge is identifying whether your business falls into that category.

Consider the following questions:

• Does your practice experience weekly downtime due to IT issues?
• Did you or a member of your staff mishandle technology to the point of costing you money or causing downtime?
• Is your workforce complaining about slow devices and networks, making their jobs more challenging?
• Does your current IT staff take too long to fix your technology when it breaks?

You might want to carefully think about outsourcing your IT if you answered yes to at least one of these questions.

How Managed IT Can Boost Your Clinic’s Productivity

Here are the proven benefits of outsourcing your IT to managed service providers (MSPs):

#1. Spend More Time Growing Your Practice

Your entire organization suffers from distractions caused by a poor IT infrastructure. You're not getting any work done if your network fails, if a device malfunctions, or if you have a problem with your server. 

Suddenly, everyone has lost focus, and next thing you know, they’re away on extended lunch breaks or glued to their phones watching YouTube videos or dancing for TikTok.

By outsourcing your IT, you and your staff can concentrate on your tasks, produce results, and grow your business. The technology infrastructure of your organization will be proactively monitored, so problems will be addressed before downtime occurs and distracting incidents won't affect your organization. 

Outsourcing IT services allows you to devote more time to growing your medical practice. It's the most cost-effective way to get the help you need. You can focus on what’s important for your business and not worry about the technology behind it.

#2. Minimize HR Burdens

Despite their best efforts, your IT staff are only human.

We all get sick, go on vacation, have family emergencies, and miss work for several other reasons. So how should you respond when one or more employees are unavailable for a prolonged period? 

What happens if your short-staffed IT department encounters more problems than it’s equipped to handle? 

The rest of your medical staff will be left idle as a few IT technicians deal with the downtime problem hampering your clinic’s productivity.

Your technology shouldn’t take a break.

Keeping up with technology takes constant attention. Plus, you have to deal with training new hires, upskilling current employees, handling paperwork, and other problems that come with managing in-house IT.

As you attempt to get your IT department in order, these problems can cost your practice time, money, and sleepless nights.

Outsourcing your IT allows you to remain on top of tech trends without the additional administrative burden. You can be assured that your system is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even on holidays. 

Outsourced IT saves the day.

Technology problems upset everyone, from management all the way down to the administrative staff. No matter the issue—slow internet, device failure, or server errors—it dramatically hinders overall productivity. 

A managed service provider (MSP) handles your network proactively. A reputable MSP takes care of problems before they can negatively impact your environment and keep your systems available to maintain employee productivity. 

#3. Alleviate Technology Anxiety

While relieving technology anxiety is a welcome benefit, you might be wondering how it can help your staff be more productive. Consider these two situations in which you're revising your business plan at your clinic:

Scenario 1: Staff Crisis 

As you sit down at your office desk to draft a new business plan, you get an email: two senior IT employees are leaving to pursue new opportunities. It's going to be hard to remain focused, isn't it?

As a practice owner or manager, you already have a lot on your plate. Now you have to deal with this as well. How well will you be able to refine your business plan, given the added anxiety?

Scenario 2: Peace and Quiet 

You sit in total silence, getting ready to write your new business plan. You've outsourced your IT, so you've eliminated your worries about in-house IT. You’re not going to be worried about them quitting, finding their replacements, and training them.

After removing one major distraction, how soon do you think you'll complete the plan? How great is the content going to be? 

To be productive, you and your staff must have peace of mind. Outsourcing your IT may not solve all of your problems, but it will take one stressor off your plate.

A fixed IT expense results in reduced worry and increased productivity. 

With an MSP, you basically outsource all your IT maintenance and repairs to an outside party on a monthly basis for a fixed fee. You don't have to worry about having to change your budget regularly due to unpredictable charges. As a result, you can rest easy, with your technology running smoothly 24/7. 

#4. Keep Your Technology Up to Date and Always Improving

Many practice owners are plagued by ineffective IT. Even basic problems like faulty hard drives, poor connectivity, and unstable email platforms can have a significant effect on productivity.

As your clinic staff members lose interest in working, they begin shopping online, watching how-to-make-dalgona videos, or talking about celebrity gossip.

Experienced managed IT providers help you develop a vision for your IT strategy. 

You can count on them for the following:

• Maintain up-to-date hardware and software
• Develop a long-term strategy that aligns with your goals
• Take steps to ensure your practice is protected against the latest cyber threats
• Valuable insight from experts with years of experience helping medical organizations

IT outsourcing prevents your system from becoming obsolete. Your practice will be able to keep up with the newest advances in technology without having to invest in expensive equipment and extensive training for staff members.

Outsourcing also offers a way for practices to keep their systems up to date with security patches and upgrades that manufacturers release on an ongoing basis.

#5. Your Organization Runs More Efficiently

If you run a medical practice, you may find yourself struggling to stay on top of the ever-changing technology that constantly impacts your industry. 

Software updates, new devices, and a host of other factors will require you to spend more and more time on technical matters, leaving you with less time to focus on your patients. 

Instead of struggling to stay abreast of this dynamic aspect of your business, you can consider outsourcing your IT operations to a reliable third-party provider. This will free up your time so that you can devote more time to your patients, while a dedicated team of IT professionals takes care of all of cybersecurity, compliance concerns, and other complex IT tasks–round the clock!

By outsourcing, you’re leaving technical concerns to experts who dedicate themselves to doing one thing every day, to the highest level of efficiency – optimizing healthcare IT environments. Ultimately, the efficiency of your practice soars beyond what you ever dreamed was possible.

Optimize Your IT for Productivity With ER Tech Pros

It’s no secret that running a practice takes a lot of time, energy, and attention. As a doctor or medical practice owner, you’re used to wearing many different hats. You may not have time to spend on IT. 

If your practice is a small one, you may not even have the budget to hire a full-time IT support person. This can become a serious problem when you’re running a practice that relies so heavily on technology. 

When you’re considering outsourcing your IT operations, you have to make sure you’re choosing the right company–one that has extensive knowledge of what a medical practice needs. ER Tech Pros has decades of experience working with healthcare organizations.

If you’re ready to transform your clinic’s IT but not sure how to proceed, you can schedule a free consultation with one of our experts. Let's explore your IT options and help you develop the most suitable plan for your medical practice.