A large healthcare organization operating several hospitals and outpatient facilities felt they didn’t have much of a need for transcription services. Like many others, front-end speech and the templating built into their electronic medical record (EMR) system sufficed. However, in early 2021, they lost all access to their EMR following a ransomware attack. The organization thought they’d be back up and running in a few days, but in the end, it took over a month to recover.
No one expects something like this to happen to them, but cyber-attacks are only increasing, especially in the healthcare industry. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists nearly 250 data breaches of healthcare organizations between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2022 – nearly double from the same period in 2021.
Luckily for that example referenced above, they had an existing contract with AQuity Solutions. We were able to help them get back to caring for patients, initiating transcription as a documentation safety net as seamless as possible. It just goes to show that no matter how your organization currently handles documentation, having an Emergency Backup Medical Transcription Service in place with AQuity can keep you operating when the worst happens.
Trickle-down Effect of Lost Transcription
Many organizations think they’re making a cost-effective decision by minimizing or eliminating their transcription services as they transition to other forms of documentation. Unfortunately, with the rise in ransomware attacks, this can leave them in a very vulnerable position.
When EMR goes down for an extended period and a physician’s only recourse is to handwrite notes, the delay in documentation inevitably causes care backups. If physicians are unable to document patient visits, treatments can’t get scheduled, patients get re-routed to other facilities, and billing cannot function. And when that downtime drags on longer than expected, the overall financial impact can be disastrous.
Preparation is Key
Although no one expects a major disaster to strike, everyone knows you need insurance. Emergency Backup Medical Transcription Services with AQuity is the safety net your organization needs to stay up and running if the unexpected happens. We respond quickly, and our 24/7 service means we will be working around the clock for you until your systems are back online. Physicians simply call in to dictate and our team will make the transcribed reports available for review through an independent and secure portal to keep things moving.
Organizations can experience cyber-attacks at any time. It is crucial to keep prepared for the worst. We even help some clients take their preventive measures a step further as they conduct mock downtimes to ensure everything is operational and ready to go should they experience the real thing.
Although AQuity cannot prevent your organization from experiencing a cyber-attack, we can help you through it. We are a recognized industry leader for data security and privacy with a focus on quality and turnaround times. We partner with provider organizations like yours for a quick and easy transition during any downtime so that your operations can continue running if someone tries to take you down.
Be prepared and contact us to discuss AQuity Emergency Backup Medical Transcription Services today.
