By Barret Wolf, Senior Digital Strategist
Remote Fertility Bridge come together via video conferences
The Coronavirus outbreak in the US has many businesses scrambling to maintain operations while keeping employees and customers safe. Having employees work remotely can be an effective solution for some businesses. But for fertility practices - and healthcare providers in general - a transition to working remotely is fraught with challenges: hard copy filing systems, outdated technology and HIPAA compliance to name a few.
For this post, we will focus on tools that your administrative and back-office staff can use to stay engaged and productive while working from home. Fertility Bridge has always been a remote-only firm, so many of the recommendations provided below come directly from our own playbook. However, we encourage you to consider our guidance as a starting point; do some research to find what works best for your practice.
Hardware and Connectivity
Working remotely relies heavily on three things: a computer, a phone and an internet connection. Today it’s fair to assume that employees have these things at home. But quality is important. A weak or unstable internet/cellular connection can make even the simplest tasks time consuming and frustrating. And remember, connectivity can be negatively impacted when shared across devices. Advise remote workers to limit unnecessary network usage by family/friends/roommates while they are working from home. And have them sit as close as possible to their wireless routers for best results.
Other hardware that may be good to have include a printer and a scanner, depending on the requirements of the job.
VPNs and Remote Desktops
If your office operates on a private network, virtual private networks (VPN) and remote desktops give remote workers direct access to these networks. While they may seem similar at a basic level, there are key differences:
Remote desktops allow users to take control of and use a computer on the network. It’s the solution that will provide the more familiar user experience and give end users the ability to use all the software installed on their in-office machines. Remote desktops are good if you are utilizing applications that are not available on your worker’s home machines. Some common remote desktops include: LogMeIn, GoToMyPC and and Splashtop.
A VPN connects the remote user directly through to the network where they can access files, email servers and internal websites. However, they will still be using their home computers to get work done. This can be good when remote users have better computers at home, allowing them to employ greater processing power to get their work done. VPNs also are generally considered to be more secure. However, any local applications required to get work done will need to be installed on the remote worker’s computer, which may involve the purchase of additional licenses.
When researching a remote solution for network access be sure to consider HIPAA compliance.
Cloud-based Collaboration Platforms
The most popular example of these platforms is Google’s G Suite for Business, which is what we use here at Fertility Bridge. G Suite provides us with the critical elements needed to operate: word processing, spreadsheet and presentation apps similar to what you may be accustomed to with Microsoft Office (albeit not as sophisticated) as well as integrated file storage, email and calendars. G Suite also makes it easy for remote workers to collaborate on files through saved revisions and interactive commenting. Microsoft offers a similar platform called Office 365. Both are worth a look.
With either of these products, you are accessing resources on a third-party server that is accessible via the Internet. Essentially, G Suite is our network, so no VPN or remote desktop is needed. And both platforms offer HIPPA compliant features.
Conferencing Software
As a fully remote company, one thing we sacrifice is daily in-person interactions. So we rely heavily on conferencing software that allows us to meet virtually. We can share our computer desktops or project ourselves through our computer’s camera for a more personal touch. Some rules for our own virtual meetings:
All digital meetings are video meetings. Every participant's face must be visible
Enter the virtual conference room early, the meeting begins on the minute
Eliminate background noise (no screaming children or noisy coffee shops)
Consider “morning stand ups” or “afternoon round ups”
Conferencing apps are a great way to keep your staff engaged while they are working remotely. Both Microsoft and Google offer a conferencing solution with their cloud-based platforms (see above). You can also find standalone solutions such as Zoom, GoToMeeting and Join.Me.
Instant Messaging Apps
Physical proximity in an office space allows for workers to informally communicate about things without relying on email or a phone call. Where did you leave that file? Can we meet 10 minutes early? Remind me how to use that feature again? In a remote setting, these questions can only be answered via email, text or over the phone. So they will not always get answered in a timely manner. Instant messaging apps allow for real-time communication over the web - a great substitute for the type of impromptu communication that we all rely on while in the office.
Some messaging apps worthy of consideration include Skype, Slack and Google Hangouts.
The growth of the remote workforce started long before Coronavirus and it will only continue to grow. There are considerable cost savings, productivity and employee satisfaction benefits for businesses that offer a work-from-home option. The outbreak may have you wading into the waters for the first time as a practice, but you will undoubtedly learn about new and exciting ways of managing your practice for the future.