Home Health Line: Upgrade from Windows XP to Protect Your Agency Against Costly Risks

May 12, 2014:



Josh Poltilove, writing in Home Health Line, quotes Tatiana Melnik, health care and technology attorney at Melnik Legal in Tampa, FL in a discussion regarding pros and cons of companies upgrading from Windows XP.

As Poltilove notes, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP in April 2014, which impacts the compliance environment of organizations that continue to use this operating system.

Poltilove provides a number of options for agencies, including:
  • "Upgrade your operating system with one that looks familiar. Microsoft announced last month that extended support for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1 will end in January 2020 and January 2023, respectively. Windows 7 and 8 operating systems cost about $100 each, depending upon which version you buy. Windows 7 looks similar to Windows XP, which could reduce the amount of training needed for clinicians to get familiar with it, says Tatiana Melnik, health care and technology attorney at Melnik Legal in Tampa, Fla. With Windows 8.1, additional configuration is required to disable the “Metro” view and make it look more like XP. Windows 7 Ultimate has an added benefit over Windows 7 Professional for agencies because it has the BitLocker Drive Encryption tool built in, Melnik adds. In Windows 8.1, BitLocker is only available in the Pro and Enterprise editions. Before purchasing an operating system, make sure that your computer is able to run the new program. Many older computers can’t run Windows 8.1, Microsoft’s latest version. Microsoft recommends businesses download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant to check if your computer meets system requirements for Windows 8.1."
  • "Buy new computers. This would be hundreds of dollars more expensive per computer than simply buying an operating system. But for agencies that haven’t gotten new computers in five to 10 years, new computers would be significantly faster and could help boost productivity throughout your agency, Melnik says. . . ."
  • "Pay a third-party vendor to patch your computers, and continue running XP. However, this option might be costly and might not make much financial sense for agencies, Melnik says. . . "
Josh Poltilove is a Staff Writer/Editor for DecisionHealth, published online at https://decisionhealth.com. The full article can be found online at:  Upgrade from Windows XP to Protect Your Agency Against Costly Risks (login required).
Melnik Legal works with healthcare providers to help them negotiate technology transactions, from purchasing a new billing system to working with third party developers developing a custom interface.

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