(ThySistas.com) Technology has had a huge impact on private practices all over the world. In this blog post, we will assess this impact further.
Data security
It seems that a day does not go by without news of a data breach. However, there are a lot of business owners that still do not see the urgency. This is especially the case in the healthcare sector. They have the ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude. This approach could end up costing you your business. If you take a look online, you will see that the healthcare sector is one at a great risk of a data breach. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover why you need to hire an IT consultant like WGroup or one of the leading cyber security companies for your private practice.
When we say that cyber security is now a necessity, we don’t simply expect you to take our word for it. We have the facts to back it up. Let’s take a look at some startling yet crucial statistics. Last year, 90 per cent of large businesses and 74 per cent of small businesses have reported a data breach. This represents an 81 per cent increase on last year for large organisations and a 60 per cent increase for small companies. Therefore, not only does this show that you are more 
likely to suffer a data breach than avoid one, but it also indicates that the problem is accelerating rapidly. This data was collected by PWC as part of their Information Security Breaches Survey, and they uncovered more worrying statistics too.
The average cost of a data breach is soaring, costing large organisations between $1.46 and $3.14 million, and small businesses between $75,000 and $311,000. Perhaps, the most worrying statistic of them all is that 21 per cent of organisations have failed to brief their board on security risks in the past year while 14 per cent have never briefed them at all. Moreover, more than seven in ten of staff-related breaches that have occurred have been because of poorly understood security policies. All of this clearly indicates how serious the threat of a data breach is, but at the same time, we are not doing enough to protect our businesses, which is why hiring one of the best cyber security companies is a must.
Increased efficiency
Another way in which technology has had a huge impact on private practices is by enabling them to increase their efficiency levels. Firstly, technology has enabled doctors and other professionals to deliver services via video conferencing software and other solutions like this. This means that patients only book an appointment with their doctor when it is a necessity, therefore, lowering patient delays.
Another way in which efficiency has been improved is because patients can manage their appointments online. This means that they can cancel appointments with ease. They can also book appointments online, which is a much more efficient system and it frees up the receptionist’s time.
There have also been efficiencies with regards to the way treatment is delivered, diagnosis is reached, and results are distributed. Tech improvements are enabling better quality throughout the entire healthcare sector, with new innovations and inventions giving hope that was not there before.
Web design and marketing
Last but not least, all practices need to have a stylish and professional website created today. A lot of practices have gone one step further and created apps too. You should keep up to date with the latest trends in the web design industry. After all, the Internet is constantly evolving and changing, and if you do not adapt, you will only get left behind. If you compare a website today with a website from 2006, you will be astounded by the difference.
When choosing a web design agency for your practice, you need to make sure they make an effort to keep up to date with all of the latest trends. This will ensure your website is not filled with outdated practices. Let’s take a look at some of them. Tables were previously used to build a static website before responsive design. Since the mobile revolution, this is no longer acceptable. This will make it extremely difficult for viewers to scroll through a website while using a smaller screen.
You also need to stay away from incorporating videos and music on your website that play automatically. This is not professional for a healthcare practice! It can be difficult to track the source of the noise and to close it if the viewer has a lot of tabs or pages opened, and it is disruptive to what the viewer is doing on your website. Plus more resources on page load will be used, meaning this can slow down your website significantly.
PDF and document downloads are also outdated. Of course, viewing PDF documents without your browser is possible, but it can require technical capability, heavy loading, or some other resource on the visitor’s end. Also, a good web design professional will not us splash pages, load filters, and Flash animations.
So there you have it: a look at technology and private practices today. It is becoming increasingly important for all people involved in the healthcare sector to stay up-to-date with the important trends and innovations.
Staff Writer; Sherry Poole