The VAR Guy

Last year the federal government announced its goal to have most Americans on electronic medical records (EMR) by 2014. Coupled with the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides funding to promote adoption and use of electronic systems, the use and storage of medical data and systems has already begun to surge. So, how can VARs and MSPs get started with healthcare IT? Here are two practical steps.

First, remember this: Small practices are in need of data solutions.

The market for small, office-based practices is ripe for the picking. According to the health care marketing research firm SK&A, only 29% of solo practices and 37% of two-physician practices currently use EMR. So the majority of these small practices need a fully loaded EMR solution, from systems to backup, and don’t yet have one. Better still, they have government money at their disposal to upgrade their data management systems.

So while those numbers may have managed services providers drooling at the possibilities—which are huge just for backup and recovery alone—take a look at these two tips before jumping right in.

Now for my two tips…

Tip 1: Don’t Jump Right In…

EMR systems, security, and data regulations are the most complex in the industry. If you’re a VAR or MSP just cutting your teeth, you may have trouble breaking into such a standards-heavy industry. Establish yourself in a different vertical first. The legal or government fields are good options because they also require specific data security and storage requirements.

It’s trust-building; if government entities and attorneys will trust their data to you, then it’s much more likely those in the medical field will follow.

Tip 2: …But Plan for the Future

The backbone of EMR data regulation is HIPAA compliance. HIPAA requires that sensitive health data be encrypted and stored in specific, tightly-regulated ways. So not only are medical practices, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers producing more and more electronic records at an exponential rate, all of those files have to be stored in a specific manner, and most importantly, be recoverable.

Consequently the foundation of any sound medical records data system is its method of backup and recovery. Take Intronis Online Backup + Recover, for example. We’re fully HIPAA compliant, SAS 70 Type II certified, and our level of encryption is the same type that is used in online banking.

Retention Capabilities

One important backup feature you should look for is retention capabilities. Part of the tech specs that makes Intronis’ solution HIPAA compliant is our ability to store an unlimited number of revisions—something that a consumer-grade backup solution just can’t offer.

However, if you’re not planning to get into a highly-regulated industry soon (see Tip 1), it may be tempting to start out with a consumer-grade online backup solution for your clients. Don’t do this—start out with a HIPAA-compliant solution or switch now to a HIPPA-compliant solution so that you’re prepared for the future.

Having some of your clients on one solution and some on another is both an administrative and technical nightmare. Besides, you don’t want to lose sleep by offering a solution to any of your clients that isn’t secure or recoverable.

The same logic applies to all your solutions, not just backup—security, mobile support, infrastructure, etc. Build your business on quality services, and you’ll be primed to take up healthcare clientele when the time is right.

Ted Roller is VP of channel development at Intronis. Find out more about Intronis’ partner program. Guest blogs such as this one are contributed as part of The VAR Guy’s annual sponsorship.

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