Nancy Outcalt • Sr. Account Executive

At the beginning of each year, we attend two important healthcare conferences, ViVE and HIMSS. These lively events allow us to come together with a dedicated community of healthcare thought leaders, connect with our existing and future customers, and learn what healthcare providers are prioritizing for the upcoming year.

2024 is an exciting time. A rapid surge in digital transformation over the past few years, spurred by the necessity of dealing with 2020 and the ensuing rise of patient expectations — mixed with innovations such as 5G, cloud technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI) — means that revolutionary improvements in healthcare delivery are not far away.

As I reflect on the many interesting speakers, exhibits, and discussions from ViVE and HIMSS, my main takeaway was the three main goals healthcare providers are focused on for 2024:

• Realizing the full benefits of AI to revolutionize healthcare
• Enhancing the digital user experience for clinicians and patients
• Enabling remote patient care 

Realizing the Full Benefits of AI to Revolutionize Healthcare  

Both ViVE and HIMSS spotlighted AI’s transformative potential in healthcare. The future holds promising advancements in improved patient outcomes and operational efficiency. From aiding personalized treatment and revolutionizing cancer treatment and surgical procedures to more practical applications such as transforming healthcare payment systems, the term AI was on everyone’s lips.

Nancy Outcalt and Marc Caponegro, Compucom Sr. Account Executives

As a managed services provider (MSP), we were excited to talk to healthcare leaders about the benefits of AI to their staff’s digital experience and its ability to optimize IT operations. Our experience and automation platform combines Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) and Digital Experience Management (XM) to drive transformation, innovation, and continuous process improvement throughout your IT environment. From increasing reliability and performance of devices to faster and more accurate root cause analysis for infrastructure issues, we help ease the burden on IT teams and help healthcare providers go beyond the buzzword to real-world AI benefits.

Enhancing the Digital User Experience for Healthcare Staff and Patients

Ongoing workforce shortages and staff burnout were addressed at both ViVE and HIMSS. With ViVE 2024 making nursing leaders a focal point. Interactions with technology shouldn’t add to the burden healthcare workers face. When staff have reliable tablets, smartphones, and laptops, can stay connected to an optimized network, and have technical support when they need it, they have more time to focus on what matters – their patients.

Compucom’s XM collects useful user experience data, such as endpoint telemetry, service and support metrics, event sensors, targeted surveys, and user sentiment analysis. We generate performance indicators from the data, which are then analyzed against our four dimensions of a successful digital workplace: making sure workers are technology-enabled, self-sufficient, well-supported, and have workplace flexibility. We then measure and improve our services against these dimensions.

Technology failures exacerbate workplace stress. Having XM to monitor digital employee experiences can identify pain points before they become an issue for healthcare staff, lowering stress levels.  

Enabling Remote Patient Care

Ensuring people in remote regions receive the same quality of clinical services as those in urban areas is why there was a big focus on enabling remote patient care at the conferences.  

Now that 5G has rolled out, it is starting to revolutionize remote patient care. Telemedicine has faced limitations due to slow internet connections. 5G’s capabilities allow for improved communication between clinicians and patients with smoother video calls. Remote patient monitoring opens the potential for doctors to access real-time data from monitoring equipment (such as heart monitors) from patients in their homes.  

5G phones are now mainstream, and every year, more and more 5G native devices are released. Samsung and Apple offer 5G tablets, and 5G laptops are becoming increasingly available, with Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung all offering them as an option.

We were excited to discuss our recent strategic partnership with T-Mobile for Business Advanced Network Industry Solutions with attendees at the conferences. As healthcare tech leaders investigate 5G private networks to prepare for the future of healthcare, device readiness is a major consideration, and our technology sourcing and device services can help.  

Exciting Times for Healthcare

I enjoyed connecting with healthcare IT leaders attending HIMSS and ViVE this year — it was clear that innovation is alive and thriving in healthcare. We are seeing some amazing technological advances that will dramatically improve healthcare access equality and patient outcomes. Advancements that could only be dreamed of are finally coming to fruition. At Compucom, we look forward to partnering with healthcare providers to enable this new reality. 

The post Exciting Times in Healthcare: Digital Innovation Takes Center Stage at HIMSS and ViVE 2024 appeared first on Compucom.

Emma Mak • Staff Writer

Amidst the turbulence of recent years, patients have observed how healthcare, a former laggard in providing fast, convenient, digitally enabled experiences, was quick to innovate. And now they’re not easing up — holding providers accountable to maintain that innovation momentum. 

Digital transformation used to mainly refer to turning paper processes digital. Now, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies, it often means thinking outside the box (or outside the hospital walls) to create new and innovative ways of improving processes, reducing costs, and delivering better patient care and outcomes to satisfy healthcare’s “consumers.” Let’s explore what consumer patients now expect and how digital transformation can help healthcare organizations deliver. 

The Intersection of Digital Transformation and High Patient Expectations 

Being a patient is stressful, and it just makes sense that they’ll appreciate healthcare providers’ efforts to make processes more streamlined and convenient. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), provider organizations must work on “developing and implementing a tightly integrated mobile strategy that ties together all consumer-facing digital elements to create a seamless experience throughout the patient journey.”

Studies also show that most patients want to leverage technology to self-manage their care, have telehealth available, and schedule, change, and cancel appointments online. An effective strategy could include the following components:

1. Fast and Convenient Interactions

• AI Chatbots: These virtual assistants can handle routine queries and appointment scheduling and provide some general health information 24/7. They’re a quick way for patients to get answers, reducing the need for phone calls or in-person visits, which allows healthcare staff to focus on more complex tasks.
• Cloud-Based Appointment Systems: Cloud platforms enable seamless appointment booking, rescheduling, and reminders. Patients can access these services from anywhere, making them super convenient. Providers can analyze appointment data for optimization.

2. Digital Solutions

• Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in the Cloud: Cloud-based EHRs allow seamless data sharing among providers and easy scalability for growing data volumes.
• Telemedicine Platforms: Telehealth solutions enable virtual consultations, improving access for patients and making a great step towards healthcare access equality for rural and elderly patients.
• Mobile Health Apps: Cloud-based apps support health tracking, medication reminders, and personalized recommendations. Using them can keep patients actively participating in their health management and allow for easy data collection of health metrics to inform clinicians’ decisions.

3. Personalized Treatment Options

• AI-Driven Personalization: AI can help clinicians tailor treatment plans based on the analysis of patient data, including medical history, genetics, and lifestyle. Predictions can be made for optimal drug choices, and risk assessment can help avoid potential adverse effects.
• Patient Portals: Portals on the cloud empower patients to have access to test results, treatment plans, and educational materials. Patients are better able to self-manage their personal information and preferences and can securely message with their providers. 

How an MSP Can Help with Healthcare Digital Transformation 

A managed service provider can play a crucial role in supporting healthcare organizations as they navigate the intersection of patient expectations, digital transformation, and cost-effectiveness.  

Infrastructure and Cloud Services

Healthcare cloud usage is gradually replacing on-premises infrastructure. However, many healthcare providers are still early in the process and have yet to adopt mature solutions that maximize the benefits of the cloud and the opportunities it brings for better patient experience and care.

When selecting the right cloud platform to ensure security, scalability, and cost optimization, an experienced MSP can guide you to the right solution and take care of deployment and maintenance. Ensure the MSP you select has experienced resources who can properly integrate AI for IT Operations (AIOps) platform tools to ensure your infrastructure is properly monitored, optimized, and managed.

An MSP can also help with data center management, ensuring high availability, disaster recovery, and compliance with industry standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Security and Compliance

While healthcare organizations must look to innovate and provide consumer-like experiences for patients, this must not be at the expense of losing privacy. Healthcare organizations are a favorite target of cybercriminals due to their data’s high monetary and intelligence value, including intellectual property and patients’ health records and financial information. Staying on top of constant threats can be too much for a healthcare provider’s internal team.

An experienced MSP can help make improvements that will enhance your cybersecurity posture. By conducting vulnerability assessments and designing and implementing robust security measures, an MSP with trusted security partners, such as Cisco and Stratejm, can help protect patient data, ensure compliance with regulations, and coordinate solutions that monitor for ongoing threats. 

Compucom: An Ideal Partner for Elevating Patient Digital Experience

Compucom offers a comprehensive portfolio of services, encompassing Technology Sourcing, Managed Services and IT Support, and Projects and Professional services, including IT staffing, to help you reach your digital transformation goals.

By getting multiple services from one provider, you simplify IT and gain a strategic partner who deeply understands your operations and can add value to all aspects of your business. Look to us for all things IT so you can give your patients great digital experiences while you meet their healthcare needs.

The post Digital Transformation and the Rising Expectations of Patients as Consumers appeared first on Compucom.

Fred Ibrahimsha • Cybersecurity Solutions Practice Lead

The increased pace of digital transformation in healthcare over the past few years, with improvements such as patient record access from mobile devices, has improved patient care and streamlined workflows. However, it has also introduced new data security and privacy risks for electronic health records (EHR). This is especially alarming with the current rate and sophistication of cyberattacks.  

While steps must be taken to protect patients and ensure HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) compliance, it’s vitally important that security measures don’t burden healthcare staff or delay patient care by reducing the usability of their devices.  

Don’t Mess with HIPAA 

HIPAA compliance is not only a legal obligation under federal law but also a business imperative. Failing to comply can result in civil and criminal penalties of over a million dollars per year for each identical violation. Even greater costs can come for healthcare organizations from the resulting reputational damage and loss of business, not to mention harm to the affected individuals whose electronic protected health information (ePHI) may be exposed, stolen, or misused. 

Best Practices to Help Meet HIPAA’s Stringent Requirements 

Users and devices are often the weakest link in the security chain and the most common target of attacks in an industry that is a favorite target for criminals. In 2023, there were 809 incidents involving data compromise in the US healthcare sector — an all-time high.  

Device security is a critical component of HIPAA compliance. With your hardworking healthcare staff already under pressure, it’s unwise to force them to choose between compliance or providing timely patient care, which can happen when staff must jump through hoops for security on their devices.

There are several ways managed services providers (MSP) can help you meet HIPAA’s regulations while ensuring technology is usable and efficient for healthcare staff. 

Modern Device Management

With Modern Device Management (MDM), a healthcare organization can oversee and control all devices within their network so they can ensure the devices are secure, compliant, and optimized. Key aspects of MDM include:

• Configuration management
• Patch management
• Device inventory management
• Remote monitoring and troubleshooting

Effective device management improves security by preventing unauthorized access, enforcing security policies, and minimizing risks. Ensuring devices are well maintained also helps healthcare staff remain productive.

Device Lifecycle Services

While it’s convenient for clinicians and hospital staff to use smartphones and tablets, loss, misplacement, or theft becomes more common with mobile devices. To protect sensitive data, there must be accountability for these devices throughout their lifecycle.

Device Lifecycle services cover the entire lifespan of a device, from acquisition to disposal. Key stages include:

• Procurement: Selecting devices with security considerations in mind.
• Provisioning: Setting up essential security settings and installing necessary software.
• Maintenance: Regularly updating, patching, and monitoring devices.
• Disposition: Ensuring a secure retirement process, including wiping sensitive data and proper disposal of devices.

Compucom can provide a single chain of custody for your assets with services performed in-house at our secure Advanced Configuration Centers, giving you the accountability and peace of mind you need for compliance with requirements like HIPAA.  

Zero Trust

Zero Trust is a security framework that assumes no implicit trust for any user or device, even from within the network. Unlike perimeter-based security, it operates under the assumption that breaches will happen and takes a more cautious approach. Some main principles of Zero Trust include:

• Least privilege access: Providing users and devices with only essential access rights.
• Micro-segmentation: Isolating network segments to limit lateral movement and minimize the damage of any potential breach.
• Continuous authentication and authorization: Verifying user and device identity for every interaction.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) fits into the Zero Trust model. It requires users to provide multiple authentication factors, such as a password, a one-time PIN, or biometrics, to access resources. By combining something the user knows (a password) with something they have (a smartphone), MFA enhances security. 

Modern Device Management

In our five-part AIOps series, we’ve explained what it is, how it works (part 1 and part 2), and offered advice on how to go beyond the hype to get its full advantages (hint: it’s all about the proper integration of toolsets with your IT systems). Finally, we’ve concluded with some real-world examples of its benefits.

To optimize IT operations, your IT team needs to understand the big picture by correlating metrics, events, and logs and then connecting the dots to figure out solutions. AIOps gives them automation and advanced tools to help them achieve that.

Partner with a provider with real-world experience, like Compucom, and go beyond the buzzword to truly effective AIOps. 

Compucom Helps Customers with Compliance and Usability

We’re focused on our healthcare customers meeting their business goals. This usually means helping them meet strict compliance requirements while simultaneously ensuring their staff have a digital experience that will keep them productive.  

For example, we often recommend and help customers implement Cisco Duo to enhance the usability of Multi-Factor Authentication while maintaining robust security and compliance with HIPAA and EPCS (Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances). Cisco Duo can help achieve this balance through: 

• Non-disruptive and risk-based authentication: A fast and seamless login experience, with increased security for more risky login attempts.
• Quick integration: Easily added to any application on any device from anywhere. This ensures users frictionless access to resources such as Epic.
• Flexibility: Authentication can happen through several methods, such as the Duo Push mobile app, biometrics, or tokens.
• Prescriptions from anywhere: Duo’s MFA allows user to self-enroll and approve e-prescriptions from their smartphones. 

Staying on top of constant threats can be a lot for a healthcare provider’s internal team. Through our partnerships with industry leaders such as Cisco, we can help you stay ahead of the threats. 

A Trusted Partner for Healthcare 

We’ve designed our comprehensive portfolio of IT services to provide the sourcing, integration, and support you need for your technology. Let us be your one-stop shop for all things IT, freeing up time for your internal teams to focus on other critical initiatives that can further improve patient care.  

The post Protect Healthcare Data Without Sacrificing Device Usability appeared first on Compucom.

Emma Mak • Staff Writer

Healthcare organizations are up against it. They must deliver high-quality patient care, ensure compliance with regulations, manage complex IT infrastructures, and cope with internal and external stakeholders’ increasing demands and expectations.  

Two powerful technologies can help: Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) and Digital Experience Management (XM) enable organizations to optimize IT operations and enhance Digital Employee Experience (DEX). Combined, they’re a remedy for what ails many healthcare organizations — inefficient systems and staff burnout — ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. 

How to Get Started with AIOps and XM  

As with all digital transformation initiatives, successful implementation of AIOps and XM requires a strategic and systematic approach. Here are some steps to follow:

1. Assess your current state: Evaluate your IT maturity, capabilities, and challenges, and identify your goals and priorities for AIOps and XM.
2. Choose the right tools: Select the best AIOps and XM solutions and vendors that suit your needs and budget and can integrate well with your existing IT environment and processes.
3. Implement and optimize: Deploy and configure your AIOps and XM solutions and monitor and measure their performance and impact. Continuously refine and improve your AIOps and XM strategies and practices based on data and feedback.

These steps can be challenging for healthcare organizations on their own. Implementing AIOps and XM is more complex than purchasing software. A managed services provider (MSP) with expertise in implementing and integrating toolsets within customers’ systems can be a great partner throughout the process, helping you gain the best ROI. 

AIOps and XM Defined 

AIOps is a set of tools and techniques that use AI, machine learning, and automation to analyze, monitor, and manage IT systems and processes. Implemented correctly, it can help IT teams reduce complexity, increase efficiency, and resolve issues faster and more proactively.

XM is a holistic approach that measures and improves how employees interact with and perceive the digital tools and systems they use daily. This helps IT teams provide seamless, user-friendly, and personalized experiences that boost employee engagement, productivity, and retention. 

By using AIOps to group related alerts using event correlation, the healthcare organization successfully reduces alert fatigue and improves incident management for their EHR system.

AIOps + XM Benefits: Monitoring and Improving IT Infrastructure Health

By combining AIOps and XM, healthcare organizations can achieve the following benefits:

• Reduced downtime, cost, and risk: AIOps can help IT teams prevent, detect, and resolve incidents that affect the availability and performance of critical IT systems and applications, such as electronic health records, telehealth platforms, and medical devices. It can also help IT teams optimize resources, reduce operational costs, and comply with security and privacy regulations.
• Improved employee satisfaction and performance: XM can help IT teams understand which digital processes are slowing down and frustrating doctors, nurses, administrators, and researchers. By enabling the collection and analysis of staff feedback, sentiment, and tool usage data, IT teams can identify and address pain points, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Enhanced patient care and outcomes: Together, AIOps and XM ensure healthcare IT systems and applications are reliable, secure, and user-friendly, helping staff become less stressed and more productive and efficient. This leads to better patient satisfaction, safety, and quality of care, as well as reduced errors, costs, and risks. 

Real-World Examples 

AIOps

• Challenge: A hospital’s IT team is inundated with alerts when the EHR system experiences a network outage that affects multiple servers and applications. Meanwhile, an incident that affects patient privacy is lost in the alert noise.
• Solution: AIOps helps IT teams cut through the noise. In this case, it would have grouped all the alerts related to the network outage into one incident and prioritized the data breach incident affecting patient privacy, assigning it critical status so it could be resolved quickly.

XM

• Challenge: A nurse needs to access patient electronic health records (EHR) on her tablet. She’s having trouble— the app is slow and unresponsive, and she must wait to view each patient’s information. It’s the end of her shift; it’s been a difficult day, and she’s exhausted and frustrated.
• Solution: Using XM, the IT team would have been monitoring the performance and reliability of the EHR app, proactively identifying and resolving any issues that could affect user experience. While her day full of caring for patients would still have been challenging, her experiences with technology would have helped maximize her efficiency in caring for her patients rather than adding to her burden. 

Compucom’s Matrix Platform  

We’ve designed our comprehensive portfolio of IT services around user experience and XM, and we’re an early adopter of AIOps tools and techniques. Our experience and automation platform — Matrix — combines AIOps and XM to drive transformation, innovation, and continuous process improvement throughout your IT environment, freeing up time for your IT team to focus on other critical initiatives that can further improve patient care. 

The post Optimizing Healthcare IT Infrastructure with AI appeared first on Compucom.

Emma Mak • Staff Writer

Healthcare urgently needs reliable, secure, and consistent connectivity. Disparities in rural versus suburban care, surging rates of chronic illness, and an aging population are just some of the reasons it’s critical to enhance healthcare efficiency and accessibility.

5G (the fifth-generation mobile network) has finally rolled out, and it’s spurring exciting healthcare innovations. Like a freeway with more lanes, 5G wireless cellular technology has higher capacity — and the potential to hit download speeds and ultra-low latency approaching that of a wired connection.  

The Benefits and Possibilities 

A hospital campus can be massive, with millions of square feet and multiple buildings. Ideally, clinicians can maintain network connectivity without dead spots as they move within facilities and from building to building — 5G networking solutions have this capability. The ability of 5G to transmit large amounts of data quickly and reliably means improvement for existing applications but also drives a lot of potential new use cases:

• Think of seamless video communication between doctors and patients without lag or buffering.
• Picture simulation of real-world situations such as surgeries, emergencies, or diagnoses in immersive AR/VR environments, providing better training opportunities with lower cost and less risk for a wider audience. 
• Imagine the real-time transfer of vital signs data from ambulance paramedics to hospital critical care staff or detailed pictures and HD videos from clinical equipment to a remote clinician for diagnosis.

Today’s workers often use up to four smart devices, which quickly adds up when multiplied by the number of hospital staff. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already big in the healthcare industry, with wearable devices and connected medical equipment helping to monitor patients and collect data. All these devices can make for a crowded network. With 5G’s increase in bandwidth, a massive number of high-speed devices can be connected. 

5G Public and Private Networks 

Public 5G networks, owned and operated by carriers, are generally available to everyone; they offer wider coverage and lower costs but don’t offer the same level of control and security as private networks.  

Privacy and security are top concerns in healthcare. Standalone dedicated on-premises networks isolated from public networks are one solution. Private 5G networks can be optimized for specific use cases and offer control, such as prioritizing network traffic to ensure bandwidth for critical applications. Another solution is using network slicing to create a virtual private instance (slice) of a service provider’s public network.  

• Group the alerts – for example, if the EHR system experiences a network outage that affects multiple servers and applications, AIOps groups all the alerts related to the network outage into one incident.
• Filter out irrelevant alerts, such as those expected due to routine maintenance or testing activities for the EHR system.
• Prioritize incidents based on their urgency, importance, or business impact. If the EHR system has some incidents that affect patient safety or privacy, such as data loss or breach, AIOps prioritizes these incidents and assigns them a critical status.

By using AIOps to group related alerts using event correlation, the healthcare organization successfully reduces alert fatigue and improves incident management for their EHR system.

5G Hybrid: Making 5G Fit Healthcare Use Cases 

Hybrid 5G networks use a mix of public and private infrastructure, allowing organizations to benefit from the strengths of both. For example, specific critical use cases could use the private network, while the public network could handle the less sensitive functions.

An example of a 5G hybrid network for healthcare has been developed at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). BCH originally wanted to upgrade its Wi-Fi capabilities; with a footprint of over 19 buildings and 3 million square feet (about the area of a large shopping mall), they chose a 5G environment to provide reliable connectivity anywhere within its system. Mission-critical applications were moved from Wi-Fi to 5G.  

Now, BCH’s internal secure network extends beyond its walls. As clinicians move between facilities, where before they would have lost Wi-Fi, they can now maintain their connection with the 5G network. The solution also provides connection across all their campuses and to remote practitioners. 

Compucom’s Recent Partnership with T-Mobile 

As tech leaders investigate 5G private networks to prepare for the future of healthcare, device readiness is a major consideration.

5G phones are now mainstream, and every year, more and more 5G native devices are released. Samsung and Apple offer 5G tablets, and 5G laptops are becoming increasingly available, with Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung all offering them as an option.

Learn how Compucom recently partnered with T-Mobile as part of T-Mobile Business’ Connected Laptop offering to keep workforces productive and connected. 

The post The Benefits of 5G to Healthcare appeared first on Compucom.

Jeffery Bunch •  Sevice Sales Executive

As managed service providers (MSPs), we know how hospitals and healthcare providers can save money and improve service by outsourcing specific IT functions. Last week we attended the 2023 HIMMS Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Chicago, and hearing from the healthcare professionals and other attendees helped us better understand the top IT priorities for healthcare providers in 2023.

Since then, we’ve had time to reflect and analyze what we learned. Given our understanding of the macro and microenvironments affecting the healthcare industry, including the current economic climate, we were not surprised by many of the conversations we had or the concerns raised by conference attendees.

In fact, their top three concerns mirror those of other industries, and fortunately, they are areas where a good MSP can help.

Improving Operational Efficiency

Improved patient care, shorter wait times, and helping reduce staff stress and burnout are major areas where MSPs, like Compucom, can assist providers.

By offering workplace technology assessments, expert solution design, and IT staffing services, we can help create a more streamlined and efficient workplace.

Having the Right IT Resources to Meet Technology Initiatives

New technologies are often the linchpin for many new initiatives in the healthcare industry. When beginning digital innovation or transformation projects, MSPs can provide the knowledge and expertise providers need. We understand how technology and technology support can improve your workplace and your employees’ workday.

From providing the latest technologies for improving patient outcomes to helping implement technology initiatives that optimize patient care and streamline processes, MSPs are there to help you find the technology solutions to help you do what you do best, patient care.

Cutting Costs

In the end, budgets control much of what can be done. And while IT outsourcing may not seem an obvious priority for spending, in the long term, an experienced and trusted MSP who offers the full breadth of hardware solutions, managed services, and professional services can be a valuable tool for hospitals looking to save money and improve IT services for patients and staff.

For example, IT outsourcing and IT staffing can help hospitals save money by providing services at a lower cost than hiring and training in-house staff. MSPs can also provide access to IT specialization and expertise that you may need in-house, leading to cost savings by avoiding the need to hire and train new staff.

Technology, Patient Experience, and a Strategic Partner

Our experience at HIMSS was amazing. We connected with old friends and made new ones. Through our many discussions with attendees, we were able to better understand what the healthcare industry and providers are facing today and in the coming years. At the same time, we were able to speak directly to key decision-makers about some of what we bring to the table as a strategic IT partner:

• Improved efficiencies
• The right IT resources
• Cost savings opportunities
• An optimized digital employee and patient experience

As a leader in IT-managed services, we work with you to provide services that are focused on worker and patient needs, and we provide 24/7 support to ensure that your patients receive the care they need when they need it.

To us, it’s about more than access to specialized expertise and technology, streamlined processes, and improved business outcomes. It’s about helping you provide better technology experiences for your staff, reduce wait times, and improve patient care.

The post Understanding Healthcare Providers’ Biggest IT Concerns appeared first on Compucom.

{{dc:author:display_name}}

Save Money, Protect Patient Data, and Provide the Best Support for Your Staff

In our recent healthcare blog series, we’ve discussed several benefits Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can bring to providers, including improving operational efficiency, boosting cybersecurity posture, and providing better technology experiences to ease pressure on workers.  

With tough times in the industry predicted to continue, there are three other areas of concern for which a trusted MSP can help healthcare providers survive and thrive: help with compliance, flexible 24/7/365 support services, and — a major one — cost savings. 

Compliance with Regulations, Such as HIPAA

To protect patient safety, privacy, and data security, healthcare providers and their IT teams must pay special attention to compliance requirements such as Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The pressure to ensure compliance continues to build — the U.S. government recently imposed stiffer penalties for HIPAA violations. 

With severe implications to your organization’s reputation and financial penalties on the line, an MSP’s processes and services should help, not hinder, your organization’s compliance. 

Compucom’s Device Lifecycle Services manages the entire lifecycle of every IT device in your organization, from procurement to retirement. Having a single chain of custody for your assets with services performed in-house at our secure Advanced Configuration Centers gives the accountability you need for compliance with requirements like HIPAA and overall peace of mind.  

Flexible 24/7/365 Support

With the shortage of IT talent and the challenges that remote work, electronic health record (EHR) standards and requirements, and rampant cybersecurity threats pose to healthcare providers, the pressure on internal IT teams can be unrelenting. And the stakes for burnout are high – your internal team must be ready to support and repair the critical equipment in your facilities that most directly impact patients.  

To deliver the right support solution for your employees and budget, an MSP should evaluate the unique needs of your workforce and customize support services to deliver a cost-effective combination of automated, AI-assisted support and access to qualified, experienced technicians.  

Compucom’s technical staff are full-time, fully trained, and certified employees. We require extensive checks for new hires, which can be extended to comply with further standards set by our customers. As part of onboarding core curriculum training, our field technicians are required to complete HIPAA privacy essentials. 

Cost Savings

An MSP’s expertise in procuring hardware solutions and streamlining management of devices produces significant cost savings for customers.

A top-notch Professional Services team can also examine customer operations for areas that can be streamlined and optimized. Another potential area for savings involves a significant issue affecting healthcare today — a shortage of IT talent. An IT staffing division can help you fill gaps in your internal IT team and reduce overhead costs.

Professional Services

Compucom has expertise in assessing infrastructure and designing solutions to improve efficiency and cut costs, ensuring customers receive ROI. Our Professional Services team specializes in the following disciplines:

• Enterprise networking
• Security
• Collaboration solutions
• IT service management (ITSM)
• Infrastructure and hybrid cloud
• Unified endpoint management (UEM) 

IT staffing

IT staffing gives you a more flexible workforce, enabling you to have temporary or contract employees for specific projects or during peak periods of activity. Using an agency to hire IT staff reduces the time and expense of traditional recruitment processes.  

Compucom’s IT staffing division has pipelines of qualified candidates across North America with skill sets such as infrastructure and end-user support, software development and security, and design and research. With flexible options such as rebadging, payrolling, and contract-to-hire, you can get the right IT staffing solution to fit your needs. Other benefits of Compucom’s IT staffing include:

• Quick turnaround: Qualified candidates presented within 24-48 hours
• Efficiency of 3 to 1: Our targeted screening typically finds the right placement within three candidates
• Recruiter commitment: Average tenure Is more than seven years; our recruiters are invested in their position 

The Compucom Advantage for Healthcare 

In modern healthcare, technology makes up an increasingly large part of patient and employee experience; using it to your advantage is crucial to remaining competitive.

Compucom’s services deliver the best technology, experience, and support for your workforce. But for many of our long-term customers, we’ve also become a trusted advisor whom they invite to the table when discussing strategy and transformation projects to modernize their infrastructure and business processes. 

By having one provider for all your IT needs, you simplify your operations and gain a strategic partner who has insight into your workforce requirements and business goals. In these financially challenging times for healthcare, partner with Compucom to build resiliency and thrive. 

The post Managed IT Services for Healthcare: An Effective Prescription appeared first on Compucom.

{{dc:author:display_name}}

With the urgency of current healthcare worker shortages, strategies for attracting and retaining top talent are front of mind for organizational leaders. This puts Employee Experience (EX) — the employee’s overall impression of an organization based on all the interactions they have from onboarding to offboarding — in the spotlight.

Because such tasks as managing patient data, tracking treatment plans, scheduling appointments, and using telemedicine and barcode medication administration systems can make up a sizable percentage of a healthcare worker’s day, high-performing technology is fundamental to good employee experience.

User-Centric Services: Device Choice and Personalized Tech Support

Device as a Service (DaaS): A Budget-Conscious Way to Provide Great Devices

Device as a Service (DaaS) is a leasing model that provides laptops, tablets, and smartphones bundled with a complete set of features and services covering the entire lifecycle of the device into a single, per-device monthly contract. It’s a scalable solution that allows you to easily shrink or grow your fleet of devices as needed without incurring significant upfront costs.

The benefits to healthcare employee experience include:

• Access to the latest technology
  For the best patient care, hospital staff needs up-to-date equipment that works efficiently. Device offerings are on a regular refresh cycle (typically three years), ensuring access to current devices without incurring additional costs

• Simplified device management
  Device management, maintenance, security, and support can be part of the DaaS package, freeing your staff from time-consuming tasks such as software updates, security patches, and troubleshooting

Personalized Technology Support Services: Help to Suit Each Healthcare Worker and Situation

Health information technologies are implicated as a contributing factor to clinician burnout. With the pressures and fatigue that clinicians face as part of the job, it’s critical to ensure that, should they run into technical issues, they always have access to high-quality support in the way that suits them and the situation best.

Look for personalized support services to provide proactive incident resolution with multi-channel engagement through voice (with a courtesy call-back feature), text, email, digital assistance (which unifies AI chat and live agent chat), and a digital engagement platform for self-help and self-service.

Experience Management Across All IT Services

Continuous Improvement of Employee Experience

Experience Management (XM) is a process for measuring, managing, and improving employee experience. Sources of important data such as endpoint telemetry (including application, operating system, and device data), service metrics (availability, use rate, and reliability data), event sensors, targeted employee surveys, and user-sentiment analysis are used to generate performance indicators.

Insights are developed from the collected data using Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML). Then actionable insights are generated, either automatically or by experienced analysts.

Experience Management (XM) is a Game Changer

Using Experience Management (XM) processes helps determine the right improvements and actions to take across a breadth of services. For example:

• Programmed automated responses, such as self-heal actions triggered by sensor events
• Knowledgebase content updates or improved chat scripts
• Empowering service desk agents with one-click automation to resolve a common issue on endpoint devices

XM is a game changer for our customers. We can now provide them with a view into their employees’ sentiments, burnout, and frustration and enable insight into how best to fix potential pain points, sometimes before the user is even aware of an issue.

Compucom: The Right Partner for Healthcare Technology

With the significantly higher rates of burnout and stress in healthcare, your staff shouldn’t have to wait on technology and IT services that don’t perform well; their focus should be achieving a reasonable work-life balance and caring for patients.

Compucom has strong relationships with popular OEMs for you to choose from, such as HP®, Lenovo®, Intel®, Dell®, and Apple®. We also design all our services around EX.

Our focus is creating ideal technology experiences for end users, proactively keeping them connected, productive, and secure. Our solutions minimize technical frustrations and barriers to productivity while giving a nod to today’s workers’ expectations that are heavily influenced by their consumer experiences.

The post 3 Ways Technology Can Ease Pressure on Healthcare Workers appeared first on Compucom.

{{dc:author:display_name}}

How to Improve Operational Efficiency

With good patient experience linked to higher profitability for healthcare providers, you don’t want to walk by a hospital staffer dealing with a patient and hear them say, “Sorry to make you wait, the system is slow” or “Bear with me; my laptop is having issues today.”

Poorly performing networks and devices used by healthcare staff impact many areas of your operational framework, such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoT), Electronic Medical Records (EMR) management, and medical billing software, leaving your staff and patients frustrated.

Outsourcing some duties to a reliable MSP is better for your staff, who will appreciate the hassle-free experiences user-centric IT services bring, and your IT department, who will be freed up for emergencies and more strategic work that helps you further improve patient experience.

When it comes to operational efficiency, two areas to focus on are better management of end-user devices and optimizing your wireless infrastructure.

Device Services: Streamline Maintenance of Applications and Devices

A lot of an IT department’s time is spent troubleshooting hardware, software, and security, so using an MSP such as Compucom to take on much of this burden has substantial benefits. Compucom’s Device Services combine support services and project services (such as workshops and assessments) with Unified Endpoint Management and Device Lifecycle Services.

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM): Visibility for All Devices With Access to Your Network

UEM is a comprehensive approach to managing all endpoints within an organization, including mobile devices, laptops, desktops, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

By combining elements of mobile device management (MDM), mobile application management (MAM), and traditional endpoint management, UEM acts as a “single pane of glass,” giving your organization visibility to the devices that have access to its network and optimizing many day-to-day duties of your IT department.

UEM has several operational efficiency benefits for healthcare including:

• Flexibility
  Staff can securely access patient data and medical records on any device through corporate apps using MDM and MAM policies or delivered as virtual desktops and applications.

• Enhanced Security and Compliance
  By maintaining device and data security with compliance and conditional-access policies, UEM can help you keep sensitive patient data secure and meet industry regulations such as HIPAA.

• Increased Productivity
  UEM automates routine tasks and provides self-service options to users, increasing productivity and reducing the burden on your internal IT team.

• Better Inventory Management
  Healthcare providers need to manage a variety of device types across departments. UEM can help keep track of inventory and monitor and optimize device usage to reduce costs.

• Simplified Update and Patch Management
  UEM can automate installing the latest software updates to maintain the health and security of devices.

• Resolution of Issues Before the User is Impacted
  As part of Compucom’s Experience Management solution, endpoint analytics help detect problems, configuration drift, or out-of-compliance conditions and, in some cases, can automatically correct the issue and avoid impacting the user.

Device Lifecycle Services

Compucom’s Device Lifecycle Services are a package of services that help get the most out of your organization’s devices throughout their lifecycle — from procurement to disposal. Designed to optimize employee experience, the services deliver device choice, readily available support, proactive device management, and sustainable disposal practices. These services include:

• Planning and Procurement
  We analyze your requirements, make purchasing recommendations, and negotiate with our partner OEMs, such as HP®, Lenovo®, Apple®, and Intel®.

• Configuration and Deployment
  Devices such as laptops, desktops, and tablets are delivered and ready to go on day one. This extends to any needed physical infrastructure such as routers, switches, servers, and racks.

• Repair, Refurbish, and Redeploy
  Through our Advanced Exchange model, employee device issues are resolved rapidly. A replacement is shipped the same day, and the used device is returned for rapid repair and refurbishment.

• IT Asset Disposition Services (ITAD)
  Our in-house ITAD services in our secure Advanced Configuration Centers increase asset management accuracy and decrease liability. We ensure data wiping and recycling of retired equipment is in accordance with all guidelines and regulations.

Wi-Fi 6E Adoption and Optimization: Improve Network Efficiency

There are an ever-increasing number of wireless devices in hospitals. Devices for communicating patient records, performing real-time data analysis, and monitoring patients are improving healthcare but are in a constant battle for resources. It makes for a congested network; every device may not be serviced efficiently, resulting in slow speeds, dropped packets, and connection loss.

“Wi-Fi 6E is the catalyst that will enable our vision of next-generation healthcare and patient experiences.“

Allen Rider, Chief Wireless Network Architect at Novant Health

Source: Wi-Fi6 Insights

Wi-Fi 6E includes the 6 GHz band, which greatly benefits IoT devices. The additional spectrum, lower latency (time it takes a packet to go from source to destination), and faster data rates for high-bandwidth applications make Wi-Fi 6E the best option for healthcare. There’s also the added benefit of more security and encryption capabilities in the 6 GHz bands.

An MSP with expertise in IT infrastructure such as Compucom has a Professional Services team who can evaluate your current capabilities and work with you to develop a plan for an update to Wi-Fi 6E. We can also advise you on how best to manage adoption for your endpoints, security protocols, and operation procedures.

Compucom: A One-Stop Shop for All Your IT Needs and a Trusted Partner

During these challenging times for healthcare, an MSP can be your greatest ally for optimizing patient experience and reaching new levels of IT efficiency. 

A recognized MSP such as Compucom, with strong OEM relationships and a broad range of services, including professional services and IT staffing, streamlines and reduces costs for your organization. By getting multiple services from one provider, you simplify IT and gain a strategic partner who deeply understands your operations and can add value to all aspects of your business. Lean on us for all things IT and free your organization to focus on what’s most important — saving and improving patient lives.  

The post Device Services and Wi-Fi 6E for Healthcare Providers appeared first on Compucom.

{{dc:author:display_name}}

Managed Service Providers Help Protect You and Your Patients

With the high rate of cyberattacks in the healthcare industry expected to continue, it’s more a question of when a provider will be attacked than if. During January 2023 alone, 30 breach cases for healthcare providers were investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

Healthcare Providers are a Favorite Target for Hackers

Healthcare organizations are an ideal target of cybercriminals due to the high monetary and intelligence value of the data they possess, including intellectual property such as research and patients’ personally identifying information (PII), health records, and financial information.

MSPs Provide Partnership and Planning

Since human error is usually the biggest vulnerability in any cybersecurity system, a serious cyber-resilience strategy should include organization-wide buy-in, training, and compliance in the prevention and recovery of data breaches. Purchasing the right set of tools is just the beginning. Careful planning is needed to prevent attacks and ensure a quick recovery.

“Aligning cybersecurity and patient safety initiatives not only will help your organization protect patient safety and privacy, but will also ensure continuity of effective delivery of high-quality care by mitigating disruptions that can have a negative impact on clinical outcomes.“

John Riggi, Senior Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, American Hospital Association

Staying on top of constant threats can be too much for a healthcare provider’s internal IT team. Outsourcing the management of cybersecurity improvements to a reliable MSP that partners with trusted names in the industry, such as Cisco® and Stratejm, helps healthcare providers stay ahead of the threats.

Case Study

Compucom Oversees Dramatic Cybersecurity Improvements for a Large Healthcare Service Provider

In 2022, Compucom oversaw a project to improve cybersecurity for a hospital system after it suffered a malware attack. Working closely with the hospital system’s IT team, we moved quickly to review their security posture and develop an incident response plan. This included tabletop exercises with a facilitator to discuss roles and responses in an emergency and for a business continuity plan.

We then partnered with Cisco® and Stratejm to deliver a complete cybersecurity solution. The following steps were taken:

• To quickly protect the hospital system’s users, we rolled out the cloud-delivered Cisco Umbrella suite. This provided the protection and visibility needed to assess the current threat landscape.

• We secured their email system, deploying Cisco Secure Email to handle phishing attacks, business email compromises, and malicious content.

• By implementing Cisco Duo, we introduced zero-trust capability with two-factor authentication (2FA) to users. This was part of our plan to protect remote access, ensure device trust, and consolidate access with single sign-on.

• A user awareness program was created, which included a phishing email simulation.

• To complement the updated security infrastructure, we introduced security-operations-center (SOC) services through Stratejm’s Managed Security Services. SOC services use people, processes, and technology to constantly monitor an organization’s network — preventing, detecting, analyzing, and rapidly responding to cybersecurity threats while continuously improving the organization’s security posture.

With the solution provided by Compucom and Cisco, and the Stratejm service to help guide our customer in the future, the hospital system will now be proactive, aware, and able to get ahead of vulnerabilities.

Compucom: A One-Stop Shop for All Your IT Needs

During these challenging times for healthcare, a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be your greatest ally for improving cybersecurity posture, optimizing patient experience, and reaching new levels of IT efficiency. 

A recognized MSP such as Compucom, with strong OEM relationships and a broad range of services, including professional services and IT staffing, streamlines and reduces costs for your organization. By getting multiple services from one provider, you simplify IT and gain a strategic partner who deeply understands your operations and can add value to all aspects of your business. Lean on us for all things IT and free your organization to focus on what’s most important — saving and improving patient lives.  

The post Healthcare Cybersecurity appeared first on Compucom.