Although the healthcare industry is typically based on logic, reason, and science, it can still be prone to believing things that are untrue. This is especially true when it comes to colocation. Naturally, the safety and care of the patients is the primary concern in the healthcare field. This includes keeping electronic medical records and health information safe while complying with HIPPA. They start to hear horror stories and myths about colocation, and they believe them to be true. Below, we will be debunking some of the long-held myths.
Myth #1 – Colocation Won’t Meet Compliance Needs
The healthcare field is held to a certain standard when it comes to patient privacy and security. It’s understandable that some professionals might not feel as though colocation will meet their compliance requirements. This simply is not true. There are many colocation data centers available that specialize in providing you with services that are compliant with the standards in the industry. You can have colocation and still be in compliance with the regulations.
Myth #2 – Colocation isn’t Secure
Here’s another one of the common myths that’s talked about with some healthcare providers. They worry about the overall security of the data and information that they keep on those servers. They see the threat of hacking being talked about on the news and on the Internet, and they worry that they could be putting their patients at risk.
Regardless of where the data is kept, there is some element of risk. However, when you choose a quality colocation center, it helps to diminish the risk. The best colocation centers work hard to keep data safe from hacks, as well as physical breaches. Many believe that the data would actually be safer in a data center than it would if it were just stored at the hospital.
Myth #3 – Colocation Can’t Provide High-Performance Results
There is another myth that many people still believe. Because the colocation center is not on the premises, they believe that it will cause performance issues with their ability to access the data. This isn’t the case. In fact, the bigger problem comes from healthcare providers who are using outdated technology at their facility. The older machines are slower, and the cost of upgrading those machines and the infrastructure is often far more than using a colocation center. With a colocation center, you will get great performance and scaling is easy when needed.
Myth #4 – All Colocation Providers are the Same
Just as not all doctors or hospitals at the same, not all colocation centers are the same. This means that the healthcare provider can’t simply choose the first colocation center that they find. Instead, they need to make sure that they research the company to ensure that they are finding a high-quality option that has the services and features that they want. They also need to make sure that the company is able to keep them in compliance with all of the regulations.
Once you start to see the truth about data centers, you can more easily see just why they are such a great option for those in the healthcare industry.