Why Healthcare Organizations Should Consider a Hybrid IT Approach

Technology has played a crucial role in improving the patient care experience. However, many healthcare organizations lack a reliable IT infrastructure that supports the security and accessibility requirements that providers depend upon for taking care of their patients.

Hospitals and healthcare practices now hold so much patient data that they’ve become an attractive target for cybercriminals. According to an article by Healthcare IT News, healthcare facilities are underprepared for preventing cybersecurity attacks. One reason why so many healthcare organizations aren’t prepared for such attacks comes from a lack of investments in IT security. More than 80% of medical facilities spend less than 6% of their IT budgets on security, which is surprising, considering how valuable Protected Health Information (PHI) is for cybercriminals. An article published by CSO stated that the average profit for a single health care record is $20,000—compared to just $2,000 for regular identity theft.

Healthcare data is considered highly valuable to hackers, and so healthcare facilities must have the right infrastructure in place to protect it. A secure IT infrastructure (servers, operating systems, and networks) is critical for protecting patient information. However, keeping patient data secure is just one component to what evolving healthcare organizations need out of IT. In addition to a high-level of security, healthcare organizations also need an IT infrastructure that is flexible and highly accessible. Healthcare continues to change, and one significant advancement in the medical industry has been the rise of telemedicine services. Telemedicine not only provides better access to patient care, but it’s also a lucrative market for healthcare professionals. A recent Global Market Insights report found that the sector was worth about $38.3 billion in 2018, and that figure is projected to swell to $130.5 billion by 2025. As telemedicine continues to gain popularity, healthcare businesses will need flexible and accessible systems. So how can healthcare facilities implement a robust infrastructure that can accommodate these multifaceted requirements?

Hybrid IT offers a comprehensive solution that gives healthcare facilities the security of on-premises and the flexibility of the cloud. With a Hybrid IT approach, healthcare organizations can keep highly sensitive PHI securely on-premises, while migrating less sensitive applications and operations, such as email or DevOps, to the cloud. This type of IT infrastructure provides several benefits, such as:

• Cost-effective- Hybrid IT deploys a pay-per-use model, which means that businesses only pay for the IT they use. Metered usage gives full transparency and control over total costs. Healthcare facilities also eliminate substantial upfront fees, as many cloud vendors offer cloud-based services on a fixed monthly fee.
• Simplified IT experience- By moving some workloads to the cloud, in-house IT departments can focus more on core business innovation needs.
• Scalability- As medical practices evolve, so do IT infrastructure requirements. With Hybrid IT, healthcare organizations can easily add or remove services when needed.
• Security- Hybrid IT can reinforce an organization’s security posture because it provides the option to calibrate your decisions and choose the best place for each piece of your data.

In conclusion, a Hybrid IT approach delivers a robust, multifaceted foundation that is essential for today’s ever-changing healthcare organizations.