HIPAA Hooray for Thin Clients!

The efficiency, security and economy of a thin client network are a natural fit with a healthcare organization that is already in transition for HIPAA compliance. Cost savings, as well as lowered maintenance and support costs, combined with increased security of patient data are all benefits that will be appreciated by healthcare providers, administrators and ultimately, their patients.

HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA is one of the highest priorities of healthcare administration today. Healthcare IT managers are facing important decisions on how to improve security, and comply with the Federal Guidelines of HIPAA. The final HIPAA security regulations, released in February 2003, apply to protected health information in electronic form. The final rule requires that covered entities determine security measures through risk analysis, and make adjustments to the “appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards” for protected information.

Specific information and explanation of these guidelines can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa. It is crucial that healthcare organizations are able to show compliance with the security and privacy regulations that are outlined in HIPAA. Enforcement of these regulations will begin in April 2005.

Many healthcare organizations are looking at replacing workstations and desktop PCs as a part of the effort to comply with HIPAA and at the same time improve efficiency, and cut costs. Vecmar customers are discovering that thin clients can be an excellent solution for the type of data access, security, and lower total cost of ownership that is demanded in today’s healthcare marketplace. Implementing thin clients can help organizations minimize the cost and time needed to upgrade systems for HIPAA compliance.

Why Thin Clients?

Efficiency, Security and Economy. Thin clients are a powerful solution for today’s healthcare IT departments, addressing the challenge of streamlining data access for patient records, test results, insurance information and billing procedures. Many Vecmar customers are finding that making the transition from older dumb terminals or desktop PCs to a thin client network is easy, cost effective and secure.

Efficiency

Thin clients use software and data from network servers. Data from different workstations or different locations is entered into or retrieved from a centralized database. There are no hard drives or floppy drives, so entered data can only be saved to the central server. Upgrades can be performed remotely, so that the IT department does not need to travel to various locations. Backup of important data only needs to be done on the central server.

With no moving parts to break down, thin clients are likely to last longer than desktop PCs. Workstations are standardized, using the same applications, with the same interface, making them easier for healthcare staff to use. Thin clients are simple to install and set up and are always on, making important patient data immediately accessible to an entire team of healthcare professionals.

Security

Since there is no hard drive or floppy drive, thin clients are protected from the use of unauthorized software or the introduction of viruses. Patient data cannot be copied to a disk or saved to any other location than the central server. Centralized processing makes it easy to manage and monitor system access and to enforce security policies and procedures, so that internal security risk is minimized.

Economy

Not only do thin clients cost less to purchase than desktop PCs (especially if you decide to implement our top quality remanufactured models), but because they have fewer moving parts, they usually have a longer useful lifespan. Reduced IT costs are part of the bargain when upgrades and backups are handled by a central server. A recent study, by Thin Client Computing in Scottsdale Arizona for Wyse, concluded that thin clients, in general, use about one-seventh of the power needed to run a desktop PC.

Vecmar – Your thin client resource

You will find that thin clients from Vecmar are the some of the most competitively priced in the industry. We maintain a large inventory of new and remanufactured thin clients from Wyse and Unisys, and plan to expand our line to other manufacturers in the future. Vecmar also provides remanufacturing services for your existing thin clients, which include a 2-year warranty and free technical support.

Vecmar professionals can assist you with a wide variety of network integration services. Whether you are deploying new network technology or re-deploying an existing network infrastructure, Vecmar can help make your transition to thin clients as seamless as possible. Why not contact one of our account executives to discuss your specific needs? We are glad to help. Just call 800-457-8499 or 440-953-1119 or email us.

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VECMAR Computer Solutions, 7595 Jenther Drive, Mentor, Ohio 44060 USA
(800) 457-8499, Int'l (440) 953-1119, Fax (440) 953-8341