Some of the advantages of virtual desktop in a healthcare environment

In recent months I have been asked on numerous occasions the same questions during the current state analysis in some EHR implementation projects. The question was: “what is the most effective solution to replacing/ upgrading all existing desktops in an environment?” There is no size fits all here. But one technology that is worth considering as a good solid option is: Virtual Desktop.

 There are several reasons why one should replace existing aging desktops with virtual ones:

Necessary Upgrade

Since Windows XP will no longer be supported and still many have delayed the upgrade due to the costly hardware requirements of Windows 7, a virtual environment is very appealing and cost effective since it will provide standardize virtual hardware across the board.

Centralized management

One value we can immediately see with VDI (Virtual Desktop infrastructure) is the reduction in desktop support and maintenance. We can also reap the benefits of centralized data and ease of backup and DR. While in some cases group policy would resolve the issue of ensuring that all critical data on desktops is being stored on a central repository with virtual desktop we eliminate that pain point since all is stored on a SAN.

Hardware flexibility

With different applications come different hardware requirements. And with the virtual environment adding memory or storage has never been simpler. With just few clicks we can upgrade the memory and increase the storage capacity to meet the requirements of specific applications.

Security

With all the pressures of HIPAA compliancy and the need to secure the health records in a healthcare environment, VDI mitigates some of the risks associated with data breach. A VDI has the ability to lock down the image so that there is no access to USB on the desktop. It also ensures that nothing can get installed that is not approved by the administrators. Since the actual “desktop” unit does not store any data this means that if it is stolen there is no way for anyone to gain access to any.

Customized desktop images to meet the need of department

In most enterprise settings there is a standard image per department or teams. So when a new employee starts they are assigned a desktop. With a VDI environment we can use the same concept with the exception that this time the new employee is assigned a specific image with just few clicks.

 Clearly there are several benefits to virtualization. Not only an IDN can centrally managed all the workstations but they can continue to focus on meaningful use and not on the mundane tasks related to desktop support. Of course traditionally Citrix had several of the benefits that virtualization has to offer, but with the some of the added benefits of Disaster recovery, data containment, ease of management, device independence it seems that VDI may just be what the doctor prescribed.