Of all the vertical industries of interest to the channel, few hold more broad promise and greater opportunity than health care. In this e-book, a publication of The 2112 Group and Intronis, we examine the health care IT revolution and the opportunities available to savvy IT managed services providers. www.intronis.com blog.intronis.com
2. The Perfect Prescription: Backup & Recovery in Health Care IT
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: The Health Care IT Revolution
4
CHAPTER 2: The Growing Market for Health Care Technology
8
CHAPTER 3: Leading With Backup: Health Care-Focused Channel Opportunities
10
CHAPTER 4: HIPAA Compliance & Other Unique Challenges in Health Care Tech
15
CHAPTER 5: Selling IT in the Health Care Vertical
18
CONCLUSIONS
21
LEARN MORE
23
ABOUT
24
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Any questions should be directed to The 2112 Group at (347) 770-2112 x104 or info@the2112group.com.
3. INTRODUCTION
The Perfect Prescription: Backup & Recovery in Health Care IT
Of all the vertical industries of interest to the channel, few
management, networking and mobility, security and data
hold more broad promise and greater opportunity than
encryption services, advanced imaging, storage, backup
health care. Thanks to the ongoing release of targeted
and recovery, and cloud computing. Solution providers able
products, the evolving standards of care and an increase
to navigate the health care industry’s complex technology
in the number of federal government incentives, the health
requirements and myriad regulatory and compliance
care IT market is witnessing substantial spending growth.
hurdles are poised to recognize the sector’s significant
Last year, the U.S. health care IT sector topped $40 billion
financial opportunities.
in annual sales and is expected to grow 23 percent annually
In this e-book, a publication of The 2112 Group and Intronis,
through next year.1 A substantial amount of that spending
we examine the state of the health care IT market, the specific
comes from the $19 billion in federal grants approved by
drivers of growth in this fertile space, and what backup and
Congress in 2010 to update technology across the U.S.
recovery services hold for solution providers looking to
health care industry. Those funds will be rolled out
develop new health care IT practices. We will also look at
industry-wide through 2015.
some of the specific challenges partners must overcome to
As a result, solution providers are looking at the health care
space as fertile ground for specialized services offerings that
encompass electronic medical records (EMRs) and document
1
RNCOS Inc. Inc. “US Health care IT Market Forecast to 2014”, [Oct. 11, 2011].
work effectively with health care clients and discuss ways
to generate more health care sales by targeting the unique
needs of medical providers.
4. The Perfect Prescription: Backup & Recovery in Health Care IT
CHAPTER 1
The Health Care IT Revolution
Over the past two decades, modern medical care has been radically altered by the introduction and implementation of
innovative technologies. Medical equipment continues to get more advanced and effective in treating and preventing
disease. Mobile devices and applications have reshaped the use of IT in health care by enabling real-time monitoring of
patients and remote control of medical systems. Billing is now faster and more accurate. Patient medical records are more
portable and secure than ever before.
This digital transformation of the entire industry happened in less than a generation, and its impact affects patient
outcomes and the financial performance of medical and health insurance practices.
According to RAND Corp., $81 billion could be saved annually by thoroughly modernizing the health care IT system.2
$81 BILLION
AMOUNT THAT COULD BE SAVED ANNUALLY
BY THOROUGHLY MODERNIZING THE
HEALTH CARE IT SYSTEM 2
2
RAND Corp. Analysis of healthcare interventions that change patient trajectories, [Sept. 2005].
Chapter 1 - The Health Care IT Revolution | 4
5. The Perfect Prescription: Backup & Recovery in Health Care IT
Some of the key ways information technology is having
an impact on health care include the following:
>> Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)
Among the largest and most important efforts underway in the health care industry is the move toward universal and
standardized EMRs, which cover nearly every aspect of medical care delivery – laboratory test results, physician services,
patient history, prescription records, medical billing – and are the foundation of the technology revolution in health care.
EMRs make the health care system more efficient and less costly, reduce medical errors and improve diagnostic accuracy,
and improve the quality and convenience of patient care. With EMRs, information is available whenever and wherever
it is needed.
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, a component of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, committed substantial federal resources to support
the widespread adoption of EMRs. As of August 2012, 54
percent of the Medicare- and Medicaid-eligible professionals
had registered for the meaningful-use incentive program.3
When fully functional and exchangeable, EMRs offer
significant benefits over paper records, with physicians
reporting an increased ability to make well-informed
treatment decisions quickly and safely.4
3
Levingston, S. A. (2012). Opportunities in physician electronic health records:
A road map for vendors. Bloomberg Government.
4
Jamoom E, Beatty P, Bercovitz A, et al. (2012) Physician adoption of electronic health record systems:
United States, 2011. NCHS data brief, no 98. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Chapter 1 - The Health Care IT Revolution | 5
6. The Perfect Prescription: Backup & Recovery in Health Care IT
>> Enhanced Health Care Information Flow
Beyond the strict, government-defined boundaries of EMRs lies an even greater realm of technology-enabled informationsharing transforming health care as we know it. Doctors and patients have immediate and remote access to medical care
quality measurements and reporting, medical product safety data and comparative effectiveness of new and innovative
treatments. Such access has made it possible for health care managers to target investment priorities and has empowered
patients with unprecedented access to information on drugs, procedures, risk factors and costs.
None of this enhanced data flow would be possible without the many improvements modern IT has brought to
the health care industry via advanced networking, security, storage and data analysis tools. The impact is especially
pronounced in global medical research and comparative studies, areas in which information processing and sharing
play pivotal roles in qualitative medical developments.
>> Computerized Physician/Provider Order Entry (CPOE)
If elevating the quality of health care is the most important aspect of this form of IT, then decreased errors by physicians
and health care providers in the prescription process is one of health care IT’s top benefits. Prescribing errors are the
largest identified source of preventable hospital medical error. CPOE allows the direct entry of medical orders by licensed
professionals into an IT system that reduces errors by minimizing the ambiguity of hand-written orders.
Evidence suggests modern CPOE systems can reduce the medication error rate by 80 percent and cut errors that have
potential for serious harm or death by 55 percent. When combined with other technology-driven clinical decision support
(CDS) tools, CPOE not only allows professionals to avoid medical errors, but improves health care quality and efficiency. 5
5
Simon et al.: Lessons learned from implementation of computerized provider order entry in 5 community hospitals: a qualitative study. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2013 13:67.
Chapter 1 - The Health Care IT Revolution | 6
7. The Perfect Prescription: Backup & Recovery in Health Care IT
CASE STUDY:
>> Mobile Applications: Next-Gen Health Care IT
Mobile and handheld devices and the applications they offer have
evolved from curious gadgets to the cutting edge of technology-assisted
health care. Today’s doctors, nurses, lab technicians and medical facility
administrators leverage mobile technologies as indispensable tools to
improve administrative, technical and medical tasks.
Mobile devices deliver medical records and other information to treating
physicians and other members of the health care team. Tasks are synched
and streamlined so health care professionals can focus more on patient
care than administrative duties.
More than eight in 10 U.S. physicians own a
smartphone. Last year more than 62 percent
owned a tablet, and half of those physicians
used the devices at the point of care,
according to Manhattan Research.
A March 2013 report by
BulletinHealthcare found 52 percent
of health care professionals access
news briefings via tablets or
smartphones, up from
just 25 percent a year earlier.
EMRs & Practical Management
Help Indiana Clinic Improve Care,
Boost Finances
ORGANIZATION:
A large clinical practice focused on women’s health in
northeast Indiana has 31 health care providers in seven
locations treating 242,000 patients annually.
CHALLENGE:
Previous IT modernization left the organization with inefficient
legacy data storage and retrieval systems and incompatible
records formats. The practice sought to replace its outdated
IT solutions with a modern, integrated EMR and practice
management platform.
SOLUTION:
Working with a Georgia-based health care IT solution provider,
the clinic embarked on an ambitious rollout of an EMR
system and practice management platform. In addition to
implementing both solutions simultaneously, the partner
delivered all of the supporting infrastructure, including
compliant backup and recovery systems, and provided training
for key users in the practice.
OUTCOME:
The dual systems had a dramatic effect on patient care
quality across the organization with reduced wait times, more
efficient labs and prescription procedures, and improved
communication with third-party care providers. One year
after the rollout, the clinic attributed a $236,130 annual savings
in transcription costs and a $130,134 reduction in costs for
non-clinical staff to its enhanced IT capabilities.
Chapter 1 - The Health Care IT Revolution | 7
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