4 Simple IT Tricks for Medical Practice Owners

Owning a private medical practice has become a lot more challenging in recent years from a

financial perspective. Doctors today are dealing with an array of rising costs that are often

outside of their control. Whether it is skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums or paying an

office manager to wade through the layers of paper work, running a private practice can be a

financial struggle. Luckily, IT is an area where many individuals are finding a way to manage

costs by completing some tasks themselves or with the help of existing staff. Here are a few

tricks to make the process simpler.

Update Virus Software

An updated virus definition can be the difference between a malicious program being harmlessly

blocked and having to spend thousands of dollars hiring an expert to clean-up the entire office

network. Yes, many antivirus programs can be set to automatically update. However, many times

these updates can get accidentally cancelled or paused by busy users. Manually checking to

make sure updates have been downloaded and installed is the only way to guarantee everything

is running at peak efficiency.

Encrypt Office Communication

While many medical practices go to great lengths to protect patient data in medical archives they

often neglect security when it comes to communication channels. It only takes one compromised

email or private message to cause a world of damage. Patients need to feel that their information

and personal data is secure and protected. One way to avoid a potentially devastating data breach

is to make sure that all data transfers are completed using an encryption service.

Operating System Updates

Many people think that service updates for their Windows or Apple products are simply a matter

of minor efficiency. They often neglect to install updates in a timely manner because their

hardware is running fine without the updates, so what is the point? However, many updates are

actually software patches designed to fix security holes in the operating system. Software

develops do not advertise this fact because it makes their product look unstable or unreliable.

Neglecting to update office software could leave the entire network susceptible to a security

breach.

Institute Password Protocols

One of the fundamental truths about security in the IT world is that the weakest point in any

system is the system users. In many instances, cases of “hacking” are actually a result of

criminals finding access because of weak passwords. Yes, employees at any level find password

protocols annoying. Nobody likes to have to change their password on a monthly basis or try and

remember complex passwords. However, these protocols are often the only way to ensure

network integrity and protect sensitive data.

Dr. Gil Lederman has personally treated thousands of people with benign and malignant brain

tumors.