In this episode of PodMD, Bhavdeep Suva of Apex Cyber will be discussing the topic of IT in private practice and what doctors need to consider when starting out. We discuss the purpose of IT in private practice, the kind of planning that doctors should do with their IT provider before starting, the first IT-related decisions that should be made prior to starting private practice, and more.
- Transcript
Please note this is a machine generated transcription and may contain some errors.
*As always, all in this PodMD podcast is intended for health professionals and the comments are of a general nature. Information given is not intended as specific medical advice pertaining to any given patient. If you have a clinical issue with one of your patients please seek appropriate advice from a colleague with expertise in the area.
Today I’d like to welcome to the PodMD studio Bhavdeep Suva.
Apex Cyber is a Managed Service Provider specializing in IT and cybersecurity services tailored for small and medium businesses. With a strong foundation in enterprise cyber security consulting and a passion for securing small to mid-sized businesses, Bhavdeep brings a unique blend of technical depth and industry insight.
Today, we’ll be discussing the topic of IT in Private Practice: What Doctors Need to Consider When Starting Out.
*We do hope you enjoy this podcast but please remember that the advice here is of a general nature and is not intended as specific advice about a given medical practice. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Apex Cyber, not PodMD.
If you do have concerns or questions, please seek specific advice from Apex Cyber or your current IT advisor.Bhavdeep, thanks for talking with us on Pod MD today.
Bhavdeep: Thank you for having me.
Now the topic of today’s discussion is IT and private practice – what doctors need to consider when starting out. Can you describe for our listeners who might not be tech savvy the real purpose of IT in a private practice and what should it help them achieve?
Bhavdeep: Yeah, sure. That’s a great question and something that I ask practice owners to think about really early on. IT in a private practice would be aiming to enable the business to run smoothly, securely and efficiently. It’s not just about having computers and internet network, it’s about supporting the day-to-day flow of patients, ensuring medical records are accessible but protected, and helping staff stay productive without friction. Good IT should also reduce risk, especially around patients’ data privacy, which is really critical in healthcare and as the medical practice grows and the IT is set up along with it, it should be growing as well without requiring a full overhaul.
Question 1
Really interesting Bhavdeep. So when setting up the physical space for a new practice, what kind of planning should doctors do with their IT providers before opening their doors?Bhavdeep: Doctors who are planning to open a new physical space for a new practice, I’d recommend for them to sit with their IT service provider and discuss in detail with them and things like how many people are going to be working here, who need peripherals like printers and scanners and telephone lines will be needed in which areas and do you want Wi-Fi for staff? Do you want Wi-Fi for customers? So all of these decisions and they lead to sort of physical distractions around the space. Once all of these requirements are squared out, the IT service provider will suggest cabling which will be ultimately done by an electrician and then based on those requirements, hardware will be ordered. Things like monitors, printers, scanners, etc. And then the provider will also suggest Internet bandwidth options and Internet speeds that are best suited for the requirements that were listed earlier.
Question 2
What are some of the first IT-related decisions that a doctor should make when starting a private practice?Bhavdeep: So there are few foundational IT decisions that really set the tone for how efficiently and securely the practice will run. First off, choosing the right practice management software and it is the core of the operations for the practice. So it needs to be user friendly, secure and well supported by the vendor. Next is a reliable business grade email and calendar system. So ideally something like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. I’d highly recommend avoiding personal emails like Hotmail and Gmail just because they’re a huge security risk. Think about data backup and recovery if something goes wrong recovering data and being operational again would be the main priority. Then along with all of that, the cyber security, so things like antivirus, email filtering, firewall and the security decisions need to be taken right because patient data is highly sensitive.
Question 3
Absolutely. Why is having a proper IT set up important from day one, not just for operations, but also for patient safety and data protection?Bhavdeep: From an operations point of view, if your systems aren’t set up properly, things can quickly fall apart, so things like appointments getting missed, records going missing, staff getting frustrated and in the end, the customer also faces all of this. More importantly, patient data is highly sensitive and it needs to be legally protected. If your setup isn’t secure from the start, you’re putting the data at risk and that can lead to serious consequences. Not just reputational, but legal consequences as well. There’s also the safety side of things, so if you lose access to critical patient records or test results due to an IT issue or cyber attack, that could lead to a lot of delay. So it’s not just about convenience, it’s about trust, compliance and clinical safety. So starting with a solid IT foundation means that you are building a practice that patients and staff can rely on from day one.
Question 4
How can new practices ensure that their patient data is secure and meets privacy requirements like those set out by RACGP?Bhavdeep: Yeah, that’s a good question because practices need to be compliant with RACGP requirements. The best way for a new practice to ensure patient data is secure and compliant, especially with standards from RACGP, is to take a proactive and layered approach from the very beginning. First, make sure that you’re using secure, reputable systems for patient records and communications. Ideally cloud based platforms that are compliant with Australian privacy laws. Next, put in place basic but essential cyber security controls like strong passwords, 2 factor authentication, up-to-date antivirus and proper firewalls. These might sound rudimentary, but these are small things that make a huge difference. Next up, backups are really critical both for data security as well as compliance, and you need a secure backup system that’s automatic and that is tested regularly and stored off site or in cloud, so there’s 2 copies of the data. Just as importantly, work with your service provider who understands healthcare. They should help you align your systems with RACGP’s security checklist and also provide documentation,in case you are ever audited.
Question 5
Bhavdeep, is it ok to use personal devices or free tools when starting out? Or are there risks doctors might not be aware of?Bhavdeep: That’s a good question, since practices might want to save money in the very beginning of starting a new practice, and it might seem very convenient or cost effective to use personal devices like laptops and even email accounts or free file sharing tools. But there are definitely risks that doctors need to be aware of. Those free tools aren’t designed with healthcare privacy standards in mind. For example, a free email service doesn’t offer the same level of encryption or data residency controls that something like Microsoft 365 for business does. As for personal devices like mobile phones or laptops, they can get lost or hacked. If There’s patient data within them and that can be exposed, which can lead to serious previous breaches, and eventually lead to legal consequences. So data ownership is another issue. When you’re using personal devices, your practice data could end up scattered across multiple places with little control from yourself over who has access to it. So, instead of recommending free and personal devices the recommendation is always to separate your professional and personal systems from the very beginning, from day one, and use business grade tools that are designed to meet all of those privacy and security requirements and ensure that everything is protected as well as backed up. It’s a small upfront investment and it can cost a bit in the beginning, but it pays off massively in terms of compliance, professionalism and peace of mind.
Question 6
Absolutely. So once the practice is up and running, what ongoing support do you provide?Bhavdeep: Right. So we have been through what we need to do in the very beginning and what sort of setup and establishment we need and then for the ongoing setup, once the practice is up and running, our job doesn’t stop there. That’s when ongoing support becomes even more important. So we’ll provide continuous monitoring and maintenance of your systems to make sure everything stays secure, up to date and running smoothly behind the scenes. That includes things like software updates and security, patching, backups, and proactive alerts if something looks off. You’re also here to support your team when it’s helping someone with email access issues or printer issues or cyber security questions. Our goal is to reduce downtime and make sure your staff can stay focused on patients, not on tech problems. As your practice grows, maybe you bring on more doctors, even open a second site, or shift to telehealth, we help you scale your IT setup to support all of that growth. Ultimately we act as your IT partner, not just to help test. We guide you through the changes, keep you compliant and give you peace of mind that your digital foundation is solid.
Question 7
What’s one mistake you commonly see practices make with their IT that could have been easily avoided?Bhavdeep: There’s a number of things that can be easily avoided, and one of the most common mistakes that I see in practices is that IT is thought of as an afterthought rather than part of their core business planning. So, it should not be seen as a line item or a budget item. It’s more of an investment that pays off in the future. So they often set things up quickly, maybe using personal emails, free software, or even relying on a friend who is good with computers just to get the doors open. But that quick fix can turn into a long term liability. We have also seen cases where patient data wasn’t properly secured, backups weren’t working. So the whole system needed to be rebuilt because it wasn’t set up with growth or compliance in mind. The good news is all of that can be avoided with a bit of planning and right guidance from the very beginning. Treat IT as an investment in your practices professionalism and not just the cost, so it will pay off many times over.
Question 8
Thank you for your time here today in the PodMD studio. So, to sum up for us, could you please identify the three key take home messages from today’s podcast on IT and private practice?Bhavdeep: Three key take home messages from me for IT in private practices would be first one start with a solid IT foundation and don’t treat it as an afterthought and setting up secure, scalable and well planned systems from day one helps avoid costly mistakes down the track and it ensures that your practice runs smoothly from the very beginning. Second advice would be to protect patient data because it’s non-negotiable, privacy and security aren’t optional. Using business grade tools, proper backups and cyber security measures protect sensitive patient information and it keeps you compliant with regulations like those from RCGP. 3rd, last one, think long term and partner with the right people. Work with an IT provider who understands healthcare, make decisions that can grow with your practice without overspending early. The right support will give you peace of mind and will let you focus on what matters most, which is patient care.
Fantastic. Bhavdeep, thanks again for your time and the insights you’ve provided.
Bhavdeep: Thank you so much. Pleasure being here.
