Select Page

Over the last several years, cloud adoption has been on the rise in several industries. However, cloud technology has experienced particularly impressive growth in the healthcare sector. In fact, the market for cloud adoption in the healthcare industry is expected to grow from $3.73 billion to $9.48 billion between 2015 and 2020 alone. This dramatic shift to the cloud is thanks to a number of factors, including the need to cut costs, regulatory compliance concerns, and a rising emphasis on digitalization.

As more healthcare organizations consider migrating to the cloud, they must assess how the transition will benefit them. Here are seven reasons why all healthcare organizations should consider making the move to the cloud:

Research support

Medical researchers are better positioned to access the data and analytics that they need for their work when it lives in the cloud. Before the advent of this technology, those who used basic desktop computers for their research did not typically have the capacity to handle big data. Cloud computing has since eliminated this roadblock by providing the functionality that researchers need to handle enormous sets of data. The cloud also allows for enhanced collaboration among scientists, which is vital to the research process.

cloud computing

In addition, the cloud is making it easier for medical researchers to consolidate data points from a variety of sources. Larger, more comprehensive data sets can provide for more accurate identification and analysis of trends and anomalies. As such, the cloud is playing an instrumental role in medical research into new treatments and potential cures.

Improved security

Cloud technology can provide enhanced digital security to any kind of organization, but nowhere is this feature more vital than in the field of healthcare. With so many healthcare organizations entrusting sensitive patient data and financial information to outside vendors, the issue of security has been a pressing one for years. However, cloud vendors serving healthcare organizations must comply with numerous industry standards and regulations, including ISO 27001, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The cloud industry’s emphasis on security should provide assurance to healthcare organizations seeking to use the cloud to store patient medical records, medical images, and other highly sensitive information.

Streamlined access to data

For healthcare practitioners, the ability to access patient data quickly is crucial to their daily work. Cloud technology can streamline this access by creating a single, centralized portal from which to access stored medical information. Whether they are using a computer or tablet, healthcare practitioners can connect to the cloud and immediately access patient medical histories, clinical trial data, or any other files that they may need.

Collaboration

The mobility of the cloud also makes it easier for medical professionals to collaborate with their peers. Not only is it possible to instantaneously and securely send patient files and medical images around the world, but also videoconferences and other means of real-time communication are available through the cloud. This can help physicians confirm a diagnosis, seek a second opinion, or refer the patient to a specialist or other professional for the next phase of treatment. To this end, they can rely on the cloud to help them determine and provide the best treatments for a patient.

Better use of resources

Cloud computing provides more than simple data storage capabilities to healthcare providers. The majority of cloud providers also offer applications that assist with administrative functions like human resources, accounting, and more. By automating many aspects of processes like inventory management, employee scheduling, and billing, the cloud enables healthcare organizations to ease some of the demands that would otherwise be on their staff. With fewer administrative duties, medical staff will have more time to spend on their primary responsibility: patient care.

Telemedicine capabilities

With the introduction of the cloud, patients don’t have to be at a hospital or medical center to get treatment from a physician. The collaborative abilities of cloud technology have spurred the development of telemedicine, which enables medical professionals to treat patients from a distance. Through an outlet as simple as a mobile device, doctors can check in on patients, seek advice from colleagues and specialists, and transmit medical files and images. This is particularly important for those who live in remote areas or developing countries where they would otherwise have zero access to medical assistance.

cloud network

Telemedicine has also proved to be an instrumental tool in delivering care during emergencies. In these cases, first responders and others in the field can contact physicians back at the hospital to provide advice or request additional manpower.

Enhanced patient care

Ultimately, these benefits enable medical personnel to enhance the way they care for their patients. By streamlining access to medical records, the cloud makes sure that healthcare professionals can quickly access the information they need to make more accurate diagnoses, prescribe better treatments, or refer the patient elsewhere. If patients need treatment at a different facility, the physicians at that location can access their records via the cloud before they even arrive.

Equally importantly, the cloud can simplify administrative workflows so that medical professionals can spend more time with their patients. As a result, patients are more likely to be satisfied with the level of care they’ve received, and may require less treatment in the future.