A service level agreement (SLA) is a legally binding contract between a service provider and their customer that defines the specific terms of service. Although an SLA can be used in any context where one party is providing support to another, SLAs are typically found in IT service contracts.
For instance, an internet service provider may enter into service level agreements with their customers. In these cases, the SLA will often guarantee a certain level of uptime for the internet service and define the support process. The contracts for software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud apps also regularly include SLA provisions concerning uptime and application performance.
Service Level Agreements in Healthcare IT
As many electronic medical record (EMR) systems are available via the SaaS model, it’s common to see service level agreements in healthcare IT. The details of service availability and the turnaround time for support are often of critical importance to a healthcare organization, as the integrity of patient care can be tied to the availability of medical systems.
For these reasons and others, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes guidelines on service level agreements. This guidance exists to help both service providers and healthcare organizations reliably implement healthcare IT systems.
Although SLAs are often discussed in terms of internet services, they can also be used to support medical hardware. For example, the medical imaging equipment used in a PACS may have SLAs in place that define how a healthcare customer gets support with hardware failures.
Other Uses of SLAs
While the most common use of SLAs is between businesses and an external service provider, it’s becoming more common to see internal SLAs. An organization’s internal IT department might publish an SLA to let their colleagues know what to expect for service uptime. In these cases, the IT group might later publish metrics to show how well they met the service agreement.
How TempDev Can Help With Service Level Agreements
TempDev’s team of NextGen consultants, developers, and trainers can help you implement, switch, or even upgrade your current EHR system. From dashboards, templates, and reports to revenue cycle consulting, automation, and workflow redesign, TempDev offers the tools you need to make the most of your NextGen EHR system. Our team is here to help you design, organize, and implement the whole system, with top tips and guidance based on industry best practices.
Contact us here or call us at 888.TEMP.DEV to get the help you need working with service level agreements for your organization.
Interested?
Agree with our point of view? Become our client!
Did you enjoy this read? Feel free to share it with your contacts.
