Gil Lederman shares his insights on Information Technology for medical practice owners on this presentation. He discusses about 4 simple IT tips.

1. 4 Simple IT Tricks for Medical Practice
Owners
Owning a private medical practice has become a lot more challenging in recent years from a
financial perspective. Doctors today are dealing with an array of rising costs that are often
outside of their control. Whether it is skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums or paying an
office manager to wade through the layers of paper work, running a private practice can be a
financial struggle. Luckily, IT is an area where many individuals are finding a way to manage
costs by completing some tasks themselves or with the help of existing staff. Here are a few
tricks to make the process simpler.

2. Update Virus Software
An updated virus definition can be the difference between a malicious program being harmlessly
blocked and having to spend thousands of dollars hiring an expert to clean-up the entire office
network. Yes, many antivirus programs can be set to automatically update. However, many times
these updates can get accidentally cancelled or paused by busy users. Manually checking to
make sure updates have been downloaded and installed is the only way to guarantee everything
is running at peak efficiency.
Encrypt Office Communication
While many medical practices go to great lengths to protect patient data in medical archives they
often neglect security when it comes to communication channels. It only takes one compromised
email or private message to cause a world of damage. Patients need to feel that their information
and personal data is secure and protected. One way to avoid a potentially devastating data breach
is to make sure that all data transfers are completed using an encryption service.
Operating System Updates
Many people think that service updates for their Windows or Apple products are simply a matter
of minor efficiency. They often neglect to install updates in a timely manner because their
hardware is running fine without the updates, so what is the point? However, many updates are
actually software patches designed to fix security holes in the operating system. Software
develops do not advertise this fact because it makes their product look unstable or unreliable.
Neglecting to update office software could leave the entire network susceptible to a security
breach.

3. Institute Password Protocols
One of the fundamental truths about security in the IT world is that the weakest point in any
system is the system users. In many instances, cases of “hacking” are actually a result of
criminals finding access because of weak passwords. Yes, employees at any level find password
protocols annoying. Nobody likes to have to change their password on a monthly basis or try and
remember complex passwords. However, these protocols are often the only way to ensure
network integrity and protect sensitive data.
Dr. Gil Lederman has personally treated thousands of people with benign and malignant brain
tumors.