When it comes to healthcare, file transfers aren’t something to be left to Dropbox or FTP email attachments. The requirements are many; files must remain confidential, visible, and secure – every time. Achieving this is becoming ever more challenging as the sheer size and volume of file transfers grow with every year. I came across an interesting article titled “7 File Transfer Challenges of Healthcare IT Teams” which points out some IT challenges from an IT perspective.
As I read it, I realized that FileCatalyst provides IT teams in healthcare fast file transfers and a solution to many of the points mentioned. I thought I’d take a look at these pain points and highlight the ways FileCatalyst helps enterprise healthcare IT teams overcome them.
Zero Visibility with Transfers
When it comes to healthcare, file transfers usually involve confidential patient information that must remain secure. With the high volume of transfers performed in a single day, it can quickly become a serious problem. Discovering where files were sent, whether or not they were received, and when they got there is no small feat without visibility. Piecing this puzzle together manually can waste time and resources while leaving room for human error.
FileCatalyst Direct comes with reporting capabilities as a core feature. Reports can be generated periodically based on any requirements. Regardless of frequency, FileCatalyst does the heavy lifting, leaving the IT available for other business processes or critical issues as they arise.
FileCatalyst Central was also built with management and monitoring in mind, letting users create custom reports that focus on the department’s needs. Central is browser-based so regardless of where the IT team is on a given day, any information and report can be easily retrieved through any web browser. Central also allows users to create custom “maps” for a visual representation of a deployment. When it comes to visibility, Central lets you literally “see” your deployment and monitor transfers as they occur.
Security Compliance
Security isn’t a bonus feature when in healthcare file transfers; it’s a cornerstone feature. Not only is it important, but failing to adhere to security standards may come may come with lofty, multi-million dollar fines. If IT can’t prove that each transfer was protected under regulations such as SOX, GLBA, and HIPAA, the organization may end up paying fines, suffering from a tarnished reputation in the industry, and a loss of trust from patients.
FileCatalyst’s entire product family has built-in security features that ensure every transfer falls under regulations that keep user and patient information, as well as reputation, secure. All of FileCatalyst’s transfers are also protected with AES and SSL encryption.
Increasing Transfer Volume and Size
A study by Aberdeen (mentioned above) states that file sizes are growing 7% annually, the volume of transfers by another 11%, and the number of users performing transfers by an additional 6-9%! This pace of growth will only continue, and as it does the challenge of sending so many large files so often, will grow in parallel.
FileCatalyst’s fast file transfer technology is known for sending files of any size or format to any location at speeds of up to 10 Gbps. Transferring a 10 GB file from New York to LA would usually take 2 hours and 19 minutes over a 10 Gbps connection. When lives are at stake, this may be an unacceptable length of time. FileCatalyst’s fast file transfer technology can perform the same transfer in a mere 8.4 seconds!
FileCatalyst Direct’s client applications help manage the rising volume of transfers and users since they allow for unlimited distribution. As a department or organization on boards a growing number of users, they can install the FileCatalyst HotFolder application as many times as required at no additional cost.
FTP and Email is Simply Inadequate
Let’s face it, FTP and email are dated file transfer methods that are becoming more inadequate by the day. In my personal life, I have seen that dreaded “surpassed the maximum limit” when sending attachments. Now, imagine the size and volume of file transfers sent by a healthcare organization – FTP simply can’t meet the rising need.
FileCatalyst overcomes the speed issues inherent with FTP by providing a patented, built in-house, UDP-based protocol. The solution has the level of security required for enterprise healthcare organizations while providing fast file transfer capabilities that can reach speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
Lack of Integration and Centralization
Organizations sometimes need to make a myriad of different solutions work together with in-house “band-aid” fixes, and healthcare is no exception. This is not the fault of the IT department – this is a result of legacy software. In a world that is becoming ever more connected, your file transfer solutions should be just as connected.
All of the FileCatalyst products integrate seamlessly with each other. So when the time comes to add another product to y[prisna-wp-translate-dont-translate][/prisna-wp-translate-dont-translate]our environment, healthcare organizations can rest assured knowing that the IT department won’t be challenged with the task of making our solutions work with each other.
Complexity
Some organizations waste countless hours of valuable time and resources creating complex transfer procedures. Code needs to be written for every task, and modified every time the process changes. These tedious, repetitive jobs can create bottlenecks in organizational processes, which ultimately affects the patients.
This complexity and lack of automation can be solved with a single FileCatalyst Direct client application: FileCatalyst HotFolder. HotFolder automatically scans the server at chosen intervals and retrieves any new files from the server. HotFolder is also capable of creating synchronization tasks that mirror and replicate large directories over the WAN for offsite disaster recovery backups.
End-Users transferring for Convenience
This is a continuation of the last 2 points, but imagine this scenario: your IT team has done their research, found a solution that meets all of the requirements and spent countless hours putting it all in place. And, now staff members are just using third-party apps to perform file transfers. A lack of centralization and added complexities can be a deterrent for end-users, resulting in wasted time and efforts.
FileCatalyst’s seamless integration, mobile app, and easy-to-use interface will ensure that your solution is used throughout all departments by all end-users. Weather your end-users are transferring files with FileCatalyst Direct, sending download links to outside parties via email, or the IT staff is overseeing all of it with Central, FileCatalyst can provide a solution that meets all of these needs, and more.