Netgain

Healthcare practices throughout the country are moving part or all of their IT infrastructure to one of several models of “the cloud.” The cloud computing model has proven to be an effective method for both large and small practices. Still, there is some uncertainty about when the right time is to utilize cloud computing and what problems it solves.

Are mobile devices putting your practice at risk? According to the 2015 HIMSS Mobile Technology Survey, nearly 90 percent of healthcare provider employees are utilizing mobile devices as part of their practice. Mobile devices provide a large degree of convenience but also introduce one of the largest risks to securing ePHI.

Volunteering for United Way community projects. Coaching youth sports. Joining committees to better childhood education. These are all ways Netgain team members give back to our community and causes they are passionate about.

We recently sat down with a few Netgain team members to learn more about causes they care about. These team members are all dedicated to their job, but being a Netgain employee also means they get paid to volunteer.

You’ve done your research and are ready to join the other 93% of the healthcare market seeing the value of cloud adoption, according to a survey by HIMSS Analytics. The decision to move to the cloud likely comes with the expectation and promise of a better user experience, stabilized IT costs, and an environment that positions your practice for future success and growth.

Since the inception of EHRs, the demand and cost of electronic storage has been a problem plaguing most healthcare organizations. Iron Mountain, a global data storage and protection company, reports that some healthcare applications, like EHR, are growing up to 70 percent per year in data storage.

When we ask our clients what their biggest struggles are as the administrator of a practice, we always hear “staying current with all of the lingo, specifically technology jargon.” Both healthcare and technology can change so quickly. It can be overwhelming to know what you need to know.

We’ve compiled a list of seven important technology terms that are commonly misrepresented, misunderstood or misused in clinical IT to help you stay educated on what matters.

HIPAA audits are underway, and every Covered Entity and Business Associate has their name in the hat. You never know when you will be audited. It is best to be prepared.

From my experience working with our client base and others in the industry, I see some common items come up with audits. Do you have these five issues covered?

With more technology in the practice than ever before and increasing regulation, healthcare organizations nationwide are trying to find ways to stabilize their IT costs.

Technology has helped healthcare practices increase efficiencies, improve quality of care, and even achieve cost savings. But it also can be unpredictable and lead to unexpected expenses.

Information technology technicians can be easily stereotyped. While the Netgain Support Team has detailed knowledge about the inner workings of technology and certainly are a bunch of brainiacs, they also know how to have fun doing some unexpected activities.

As Netgain’s Director of Support Services, I get to see lively personalities and hear about the hidden talents of our support team members. They make coming to work fun and I thought you would be interested in learning more about them, too. 

Healthcare adoption of the cloud is growing at a healthy rate of about 20 percent each year, expected to grow from $3.7 billion in 2015 to $9.5 billion in 2020. It is estimated that private cloud accounts for the major share of healthcare cloud computing, based on a report by MarketsAndMarkets.