Logicalis US to Deliver "Best Practices" Roadmap for Healthcare IT at HIMSS14, Booth #1635

NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Logicalis US, an international IT solutions and managed services provider (www.us.logicalis.com), healthcare IT (HIT) is in the midst of a much needed transformation, something which is certain to be top of mind for healthcare CIOs as well as healthcare software providers during next week's HIMSS14 conference in Orlando, Fla. 

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With pressure mounting to meet new regulatory requirements and ICD-10 deadlines, as well as the increased demands being placed on IT departments for interactive communications among patients, providers, and payers, healthcare CIOs need a set of "best practices" to help them navigate this IT transformation and arrive at the data-driven, value-based future of healthcare from where they stand today.

"At Logicalis, we call this IT transformation a 'journey' because it isn't something that happens overnight.  This is a multi-stage process requiring significant evaluation of not only IT systems, but also of what the future workflows and business processes will be and how healthcare providers, patients and payers can all  seamlessly share time-critical data," says Ed Simcox, Healthcare Business Leader, Logicalis US.  "It's a journey that is taking healthcare IT to the new levels of IT sophistication needed to support a substantial business change from volume to value."

Specialized healthcare applications are expected to play an important role in helping healthcare providers going through this transformation journey reduce costs and increase the quality of patient care.  For healthcare software developers, this spells opportunity, but it is also creating delivery challenges as healthcare clients demand an op-ex, "pay-as-you-go" procurement model.  Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), another key topic during HIMSS14, may be the key to success for healthcare software providers, and a cost-effective route to new, affordable technology solutions for the healthcare CIOs struggling with new IT demands under an existing IT budget.

"For healthcare, the cloud delivery model offers tremendous opportunities. And many of those opportunities start with selecting the right cloud provider," says Gary Gerber, ISV Business Leader, Logicalis US.  "Whether a software provider hosts their software in a public cloud, has their own infrastructure, or establishes a managed appliance model, it's clear that healthcare software providers are becoming increasingly interested in transforming their business models to SaaS.  Making this change allows software providers to confidently deliver the level of service their customers expect, ensure a positive customer experience, grow their services revenue and reach new markets."

To find out more, visit Logicalis US at booth #1635 during HIMSS14 in Orlando.

Five Steps Along Healthcare IT's Roadmap to Success
According to Logicalis, there are five important areas CIOs must examine as part of their roadmap to success in the new healthcare IT landscape.

1. HIT Infrastructure — Of all the technical capabilities healthcare IT professionals are being asked to master today, the key is an ability to adapt to change that, by all indications, is entering warp speed.  As a younger, more technology-oriented generation of doctors and tech-savvy patients take their place in healthcare's future, IT is going to be drawn increasingly into the actual delivery of health services. As a result, healthcare IT professionals won't be spending the bulk of their time caring for their IT infrastructures. The good news is that if the IT infrastructure is transformed from today's siloed systems into a virtualized, automated IT-as-a-Service resource, then the IT department will be able to focus its efforts directly on using technology to help doctors and nurses care for their patients and allowing patients to electronically manage their own care and wellness.
2. Mobility and BYOD — Today's clinicians and patients are bringing their smartphones, tablets and other devices into the healthcare environment. Providing a health system with secure, high-performance mobility improves overall productivity and helps clinicians deliver quality, evidence-based healthcare at the point of care. The key is to be able to support multiple devices and platforms securely and seamlessly while ensuring patient confidentiality, 24x7x365 availability, and simplified infrastructure management.
3. Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (DR) — Healthcare organizations must now support an always-on, always available business model.  They need cost-effective and resilient solutions that include backup, archiving, DR and business continuity capable of covering complex operations such as large hospital campuses, multiple clinics and remote locations. DR solutions must ensure instant access to critical electronic health records (EHR), including medical records and images, and be performance-intensive while also meeting flexibility, scalability and legal/compliance requirements. DR-as-a-Service is one way to achieve DR best practices in a healthcare environment.
   
   (Download "Advanced Technologies Make Thinking about Disaster Recovery a Lot Less Scary: Why You Should Reevaluate Your DR Strategy Today" here:  http://www.ict-log.us/pdPGR.)
   
   
4. Storage and Vendor-Neutral Archive (VNA) — HIT generates enormous amounts of data and images that need to be managed, protected and accessible. Whether a CIO is looking to consolidate and modernize storage to reduce cost and support requirements, or looking for specific solutions for medical imaging, a vendor-neutral archive (VNA) may be the answer.  VNA solutions can offer an enterprise data repository for images and other non-transactional data that serve multiple clinical applications including picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), EHRs, patient and physician portals, health information exchanges, and more. With a centralized archive, clinicians can securely add, access and share relevant patient information across the enterprise for more collaborative diagnoses and treatment plans.
5. Patient Portals/Mobile Applications — To meet Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements and receive federal incentives, today's healthcare providers must not only offer patient portals, but they must also get patients to use them. Healthcare patient portals and mobile applications allow patients to securely interact and communicate with healthcare providers anytime, and from any device, without sacrificing their privacy. Feature-rich patient portals can be deployed as standalone websites, integrated with a healthcare organization's existing website, or as add-ons to the EHR provider's patient portal application. No matter how they're deployed, patient portals and mobile applications increase patient engagement by providing secure online access to their healthcare data.

Want to Learn More?

• Contact Karen Burton, Healthcare/ISV Business Development Manager for Logicalis, at 251-626-9800 or [email protected].  Or drop by booth 1635 to meet Ed Simcox, Logicalis' Healthcare Business Leader, or Gary Gerber, Logicalis' ISV Business Leader, in person.
• For healthcare CIOs:
  • Visit Logicalis' Healthcare IT microsite here: http://www.ict-log.us/sOnY5 and download a Logicalis eBook, "Healthcare IT's Transformation Journey."
  • See an informative healthcare IT infographic here: http://www.ict-log.us/tzjXJ.
• For healthcare software providers:
  • Explore Logicalis' Healthcare Software Provider microsite here: http://www.ict-log.us/ptNLV.
  • Find out more about SaaS as a delivery model here: http://www.ict-log.us/t0FC1.
  • Read a Logicalis eBook, "Ready to Transform Your Healthcare Solution Business?" here: http://www.ict-log.us/pJISc.
  • Watch a brief video about Logicalis' ISV differentiators here: http://www.ict-log.us/tm0bU.

About Logicalis
Logicalis is an international IT solutions and managed services provider with a breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data center and cloud services; and managed services.

Logicalis employs nearly 3,500 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of almost 6,000 corporate and public sector customers.  To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM, CA Technologies, EMC, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of over $1.4 billion from operations in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications solution integrators specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges, with revenues of over $5 billion.

For more information, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

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Media contacts:
Lisa Dreher, VP, Marketing & Business Development, Logicalis US
[email protected]
425-201-8111
www.us.logicalis.com

Karen Franse, Communication Strategy Group for Logicalis US
[email protected]
866-997-2424
www.gocsg.com  

SOURCE Logicalis US