Hospital IT Setup Checklist

Information technology is one of the most critical aspects of a healthcare business’s framework, as it enables providers to provide better care to patients. The ability to provide effective treatment hinges upon the collection, storage, accessibility, and analysis of data to ensure providers determine the best options. Perhaps just as important is safeguarding that information and securely processing financial and healthcare data once the patient experience ends.

When efficient IT systems are put in place, accurate data about the correct patient is available to healthcare providers so that decisions made regarding the patient’s care are effective. In addition, IT helps healthcare businesses build support networks and increase treatment compliance tracking. In this way, IT is a cornerstone of any healthcare business.

Of course, the best IT systems don’t come front-loaded onto every healthcare startup. Whether you operate a new healthcare organization or have experienced IT issues with your healthcare business, designing a proper IT system is essential. Learn the basics with our IT setup checklist for clinics and hospitals.

Key Components of an IT Setup Checklist

There are many components necessary for creating a robust and secure network suitable for a healthcare organization. This checklist features the most important ones.

Network Infrastructure

When installing routers, repeaters, switches, and hubs, network infrastructure design must be considered. Any business must first plan its network requirements to determine the kind of connections needed. However, hospitals and clinics have unique needs.

For most networks, wireless connectivity is between 150Mbps and 900Mbps. However, because of the number of devices used within a hospital or clinic, more bandwidth is necessary, and CAT 6, 7, and 8 cables may not have the capacity needed for a hospital’s wireless network. Therefore, consider 5G to fulfill your connection needs.

Data Security and Compliance

Any network device is at risk of being hacked by ransomware, and hospitals and clinics typically utilize a large number of devices on a network. Therefore, it is critically important to implement cybersecurity measures, such as a smart network interface card, to protect against cyberattacks. Because of the sensitive data within hospital networks, firewalls and regular monitoring must be implemented so that any suspicious activity can be detected early and meet HIPAA compliance requirements.

Additionally, healthcare businesses often protect their networks from hackers by creating private networks for each floor or department. As private networks are designed to cover specific areas, they are more difficult to attack. Having several private networks also serves as a backup plan if one or more networks are down and can help prevent network congestion.

Another safety practice to consider implementing is establishing advanced access controls to make sure that only those who are authorized to access these networks have the means of doing so.

Server and Storage Solutions

As hospitals typically generate a large volume of medical data that must be stored, there must be a means of storing, backing up, and maintaining data for future use. For example, hospital facilities and clinics have six categories of medical data: electronic health records, administrative data, claims and insurance information, patient and disease registries, health surveys, and clinical trial information. Hospitals may use several options to store all of this data efficiently.

One solution is to use on-premises storage, which involves a server that is installed to create a local network of devices. Cloud servers are another storage option that provides data space through the internet. A third option is a hybrid solution that uses on-premises storage as well as cloud storage. With this solution, a healthcare data management system and storage software for data need to be kept on hard drives, and data should be kept on a cloud service.

Likewise, backup systems are necessary when establishing a healthcare IT infrastructure. These critical systems create duplicate copies of important files in the event that a system breach or failure occurs. One option is an on-site backup solution where the data is kept on physical hard drives within the healthcare facility. Such an option may be used to prevent data breaches.

Off-site backup solutions are another option and consist of cloud- or physical data safely stored at another location. A hybrid option that uses a combination of both on-site and off-site backup solutions is also available.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) Systems

An electronic health records (EHR) system is an essential part of a hospital IT setup. This system contains an electronic copy of a patient’s medical information, such as demographics, notes involving progress, current medications taken, immunizations, laboratory results, and radiology results. There are two basic system types used within hospitals and clinics: local (in-house) EHR and cloud-based EHR.

Before deciding on an EHR system, it is important to first determine the unique needs of your hospital or clinic. Consider the amount of patients you treat, the size of the facility, and what specialties are offered.

Then, consider which features are most important, such as the ability to manage medications, schedule appointments, or keep track of invoices and patient reports. Then, explore EHR vendors that will meet your facility’s specific needs. Be sure to check that all the system’s features are applicable within your infrastructure.

One important detail is to ensure that the EHR system can interact with any other healthcare systems that are used, including exchanges with pharmacies and other hospitals. You must also ensure that your EHR setup meets HIPAA compliance requirements, including security and tech support, which are available when needed. Finally, it must be simple to use and accessible for all necessary healthcare employees.

Communication Systems

With the advancement of technology comes the ability to practice medicine remotely. Because of these advancements in telemedicine, there is a need for efficient internal and external communication tools to ease interactions among employees and between employees and patients. Medical IT solutions must include VoIP (voice over internet protocol), which offers patients the opportunity to access providers without setting foot inside your building. As patients can access VoIP over the internet, it also allows them to communicate over a smartphone, computer, or tablet.

VoIP may also streamline internal communication tools by enabling features such as video calling, group calls, and instant messaging. It can also integrate with EHR systems to enable patient records to populate once a video call between a patient and a healthcare provider begins. In addition, essential wearable health devices that connect with artificial intelligence can provide critical data to healthcare professionals and answer patient questions.

IT Hardware and Equipment

There are several essential pieces of equipment and hardware needed to create a clinic IT setup.

This checklist-within-a-checklist should include: 

Software Solutions

Medical facilities have unique software needs. In addition to a software system compatible with all the various devices on the network, hospitals and clinics need an efficient billing system to keep track of invoices owed and paid. A compatible online patient portal allows patients to view their medical records and test results and submit payments online.

A medical practice management software program can take care of many administrative tasks, including registering patients, scheduling appointments, billing, processing insurance claims, reporting, analytics, and even managing electronic health records.

Some of the benefits of using this software include:

IT Support and Maintenance

Although IT networks are assets to hospitals and clinics, they also require ongoing support, as technical errors or issues will arise. Because these issues can occur often, it is important to schedule regular maintenance with IT support to prevent network disruptions.

With managed IT services and support, you gain access to a digital help desk that is available to you and your employees, potentially at any time of the day or night. These services can also monitor your network’s security for any threats and ensure that all necessary updates to the system are done in a timely manner. Managed IT services can also add a backup and disaster recovery plan to take effect in the event of a breach or loss.

A Step-by-Step Guide

As discussed above, there are many aspects that factor into setting up an IT network for hospital facilities.

This step-by-step guide will help you ensure all necessary components have been included:

1. Determine your facility’s networking needs. Consider all departments, such as administration, laboratory, pharmacy, and healthcare staff. Assess how much data you already utilize and the requirements for an EHR system.
2. Carefully evaluate your network design options. The way a network is designed depends on several factors, such as the facility’s floor plan, the use of certain medical devices, and more. The best practice is to ensure each department has its own segment to protect patient records and data. Wireless networks should also be available for secure patient access.
3. Determine your hardware needs. Look for switches and routers that will keep connection even during a network failure. Install firewalls to prevent attacks on the network. Utilize servers that are specifically for EHR systems.
4. Evaluate essential security measures. It is extremely important to establish security measures to protect your facility’s network, such as requiring passwords and multi-factor authentication. Security measures also include encrypting data and creating access controls to limit access to approved users.
5. Consider medical device integration. An essential part of creating an IT setup is ensuring that all medical devices are compatible with the network. Many experts suggest unique networks for medical devices to prevent network issues.
6. Establish a data backup and disaster recovery plan. As you are setting up your network, keep in mind that data storage and backup are essential to prevent data loss. This may mean considering off-site data storage and implementing a disaster recovery plan.
7. Check HIPAA compliance. As you implement your IT network, keep in mind that it must meet HIPAA compliance requirements for sensitive medical data.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Clinic and hospital IT setup is complex, especially when it comes to HIPAA compliance, preventing data loss, and ensuring simple, smooth accessibility for only those who have the proper credentials. It can also be difficult to create a network that will connect with all medical devices and manage the many different kinds of software used on those devices. Without the proper knowledge to address these solutions, you risk data loss, connectivity and accessibility issues, and expensive trial-and-error solutions that aren’t always the most effective.

To overcome these challenges, an in-depth understanding of HIPAA and data security regulations is key. You will also need to do some thorough research to find a software solution that not only meets your budget needs but will also provide a stable and secure connection that easily exchanges information between hospitals and doctors. Then, you’ll need to implement and manage systems to keep your network online and secure.

Alternatively, you can work with an experienced IT consultant to prevent costly downtime and minimize the resources you’ll need to establish an effective IT setup.

Partner With an IT Consultant

When done properly, information technology can enhance patient treatment, streamline the provision of care and billing processes, and protect patients (and your healthcare business’s reputation) from data breaches. Partnering with IT consultants is the most effective, most efficient way to plan and implement the best network design, conduct regular maintenance, and provide long-term support whenever issues arise.

If you need assistance in managing, monitoring, and improving your facility’s system, consider ongoing managed services at Healthcare ITSM. If you are looking to enlist the best team to help you plan and implement your clinic or hospital IT setup, Healthcare ITSM’s Start-up services are the best fit.

Please contact us to request more information or schedule a consultation. 

 

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Sources:

1. HHS. (2020). Electronic Health Record Systems. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/electronic-health-record-systems.pdf
2. HHS. (2022). Summary of the HIPAA security rule. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/laws-regulations/index.html

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