An IT assessment is critical for any healthcare organization—and the larger the organization, the greater the need. IT assessments focus on analyzing all the blind spots in your organization’s IT infrastructure while identifying data threats, recognizing security threats, and monitoring connectivity issues.

The results of an IT assessment can help you understand the weak points in your organization’s IT infrastructure, prepare you for possible data breaches, and inform you on the threat hackers may pose. An IT assessment can considerably improve your healthcare organization’s overall efficiency and patient care.

At Global IP Networks, our team of experts is fully dedicated to keeping your life-saving systems up and running. In essence, we keep your net working. This means you can care for patients while we care for your IT systems.

In this article, we focus on the finer points of IT assessments in healthcare organizations and provide guidance for organizations who are partnering with managed IT services providers. This information has been prepared to help you begin planning an IT assessment for your own organization.

Is It Time for an IT Assessment?

Based on information from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, you should start organizing an IT assessment if stakeholders are prepared to say yes to the following questions.

• Do most clinicians and staff in your practice agree that implementing an IT assessment is an important issue?
• Is your organization prepared to commit resources to the process of implementing an IT assessment?
• How will your practice organize its internal and external resources to provide improved care based on the IT assessment results?
• Do you know what to do after the IT assessment is completed?
• Is the organization prepared to analyze what the results of your assessment will mean?
• Has your practice considered how it will sustain and improve upon the IT assessment?

These questions will help you determine if your whole team is ready for the realities of having IT experts come in and perform an assessment. You’ll also be able to see if a majority of your leadership wants to take this step and what issues still require internal discussions.

Carefully Consider Your Options for IT Assessments

Healthcare organizations of every size require periodic, efficient IT assessments conducted by a professional IT service provider. In most cases, such service providers can help you answer all the necessary questions with a demo before you decide to commit your resources to the full-scale IT assessment that your healthcare organization needs.

There are a number of managed IT service providers, but the level of their quality varies. When you are ready to choose a service provider to perform an IT assessment for your organization, opting for one that specializes in healthcare is crucial.

The IT experts at Global IP Networks are seasoned specialists in the intricacies of healthcare IT. We know exactly what to look for in your IT assessment, and we can provide guidance on where you should put your IT resources next.

At Global IP Networks, we can help you with your healthcare organization’s IT assessment and provide your organization with unparalleled customer support. You can take advantage of our world-class customer service to help ensure that you understand every part of your organization’s IT assessment, including:

• Business critical IT services
• Network services
• Security and vulnerability assessment
• Cloud solutions and services
• Backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity

Prepare for the Next Steps

After you understand your healthcare organization’s IT challenges and the potential for upgrades, high data stability, cloud security, tight compliance, and more, the team from Global IP Networks will find the best way to put the results of your IT assessment to work.

Based on the recommendations from Global IP Networks, you’ll want to collaborate with your internal team to determine how to apply the results of your IT assessment. This is a crucial step in improving the IT that is already integrated into your systems and deciding if you want to upgrade or add any new services.

One thing to note: you do not necessarily need to incorporate all the suggestions from the IT assessment. You’ll need to weigh the importance of each potential issue and make the right decisions for your organization. Keep in mind that Global IP’s suggestions are always evidence-based and aimed at giving your organization the best IT systems possible.

Once your leadership team is in agreement, follow through by executing the changes, upgrades, or corrections to your systems. As you implement these improvements, educate your team and let them know how these changes are going to benefit your organization and team in the future. This dialogue will make sure your team is focused and energized instead of confused and  frustrated.

As you make changes, tracking the results is key. Direct your in-house IT staff to use metrics to monitor whether the alterations you’ve made are having the desired impact. If they are, keep them, but if they are not, you can cancel any upgrades or change systems back to the way they were.

Finally, a single annual IT assessment may not be enough for your healthcare organization. Think about the results of your IT assessment, and make a decision with leadership on how often to perform this type of assessment.

Keep Your Net Working With Global IP Networks

By partnering with Global IP Networks, your healthcare organization can ensure it’s taking advantage of every opportunity to improve patient care and business outcomes. You’ll be safeguarding the security of your data, the privacy of your patients, and your peace of mind.

To see how an IT assessment for your organization can analyze blind spots, identify threats, and solve connectivity issues, schedule a free demo with Global IP Networks today. It’s easy, convenient, and there’s no obligation.