Cloud computing is a powerful technology that has revolutionized how businesses operate across industries. In recent years, the healthcare industry has also witnessed a significant shift towards cloud-based solutions for storing, managing, and processing data and operations. Let’s explore what is healthcare in cloud computing.
Cloud computing in healthcare is rapidly gaining momentum due to its potential to significantly reduce the time to access medical help, minimize costs, and increase efficiency in healthcare process delivery. According to research, the global healthcare cloud computing market is expected to hit $89.4 billion by 2027. That’s a huge prediction that gives a lot of motivation for new players to enter the market.
The healthcare industry is out of the most “complex” industries regarding data management and compliance. On the other hand, cloud computing simplifies medical record sharing, automation, and healthcare service delivery.
As an industry, healthcare is not known for adopting the latest trends, particularly when switching from traditional methods to cloud solutions. However, COVID’19 helped speed up the process. The use of cloud technology has grown so fast in the healthcare industry that the total global spending is estimated to double the $39 billion spent in 2022.
Table Of Content
- What is Healthcare in Cloud Computing?
- What Are the Benefits of Cloud Computing in Healthcare?
- What Are Common Cloud Computing Issues in Healthcare?
- Healthcare Data Storage Requirements
- What Are Common Applications of Cloud Computing in Healthcare?
- Why Use Bare-Metal Servers For Healthcare?
- Conclusion
What is Healthcare in Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing in healthcare relates to using cloud-based technologies to store, manage, and process health-related data and information. This includes electronic medical records (EMRs), medical imaging, patient data storage and retrieval systems, and other health-related information.
Healthcare organizations are transitioning to cloud computing because of the increasing requirements for scalable computing resources that can be used to manage large volumes of data efficiently and cost-effectively. In addition, these solutions also provide secure and reliable storage and easy access to data from any location and device with an internet connection.
Cloud computing in healthcare is expected to help significantly improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and increase efficiency in healthcare delivery. However, healthcare organizations must ensure that multiple security measures protect patient data and that all systems comply with relevant regulations.
What Are the Benefits of Cloud Computing in Healthcare?
According to the West Monroe Partner’s report, 35% of healthcare organizations who participated in the research held more than 50% of data or infrastructure in the cloud. This number will increase in the coming years as more and more healthcare organizations see the benefits of cloud computing in healthcare, including:
Affordable Solutions
In delivering services, healthcare businesses collect and process massive data in the form of EMR, lab test results, medical imaging, and insurance claims. Cloud computing makes it easier to manage that data with relatively minimum expenses. In particular, the low cost of cloud-based storage options allows cloud-based analytical tools to work with more and cleaner data and transform it into useful information.
Growth of Telemedicine
The use of cloud computing in healthcare has accelerated the development of telemedicine. Cloud-based applications and telemedicine platforms increase accessibility, offer patient health insurance for treatment, prevention, and recovery, and facilitate medical data sharing. Additionally, certain healthcare apps have cutting-edge services such as virtual drug usage analysis and video-based telemedicine. In locations with poor access to healthcare facilities, cloud computing is essential for delivering telemedicine-based services to needy patients.
Enhanced Patient Experience
With faster access to data and helping come up with accurate diagnoses, cloud computing can help improve patient outcomes and ensure better quality care. For instance, doctors can make faster and more precise diagnoses with immediate access to previous patient medical data, past diagnoses, and prescriptions. On the other hand, thanks to cloud computing in healthcare, patients don’t have to wait long while doctors and caregivers study the conditions and devise treatment plans.
Enhanced Collaboration
Cloud-based solutions enable healthcare providers to leverage the expertise of peers by asking for advice in real-time and viewing previous medical notes and lab results. This enhances communication and collaboration across healthcare teams. For patients, this means faster and better diagnosis and treatment. The best outcome of this collaborative environment is the fact that patients no longer have to bring all their medical records when they visit a healthcare establishment. All their data is now available in an EMR database in the cloud.
Superior Data Security
Cloud-based servers are less susceptible to malware, viruses, and hacking attempts than traditional solutions. As a result, cloud-based solutions offer better compliance with the various patient anonymity and data protection regulations. Since security is built into cloud solutions, cloud providers can better maintain strict security standards and certifications to ensure patient data’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Reduced Data Storage Costs
Maintaining on-site data storage requires periodic investment in storage media and related infrastructure to ensure constant availability and security.
With cloud computing solutions, healthcare organizations can reduce data storage costs because cloud-based healthcare solutions providers care for most of the data storage requirements. This includes the maintenance and further expansion of the data storage services. In addition, the users (healthcare organizations) can scale computing resources up or down as needed.
Even though cloud computing in healthcare provides numerous benefits for healthcare providers, patients, and the healthcare industry in general, it is crucial for healthcare organizations to carefully consider the potential risks and challenges associated with cloud adoption, including data privacy and security concerns, regulatory compliance, and interoperability issues.
What Are Common Cloud Computing Issues in Healthcare?
While cloud computing offers many benefits to the healthcare industry, there are some common issues and challenges that healthcare organizations should be aware of when considering cloud adoption.
Some of the most common cloud computing issues in healthcare include:
Compliance & Regulatory Control Security
Healthcare organizations are responsible for protecting sensitive patient data and complying with regulations such as HIPAA. Cloud providers must implement robust security measures to protect patient data. However, it is still crucial for healthcare organizations to conduct due diligence and carefully evaluate the security measures implemented by their cloud providers.
Subsystems Connectivity
Healthcare data is often stored across multiple systems, making integrating and sharing data across platforms challenging. Healthcare organizations need to develop in-house expertise that collaborates with their cloud services providers to ensure that data formats remain interchangeable and that all essential standards for governing data administration, exchange, and control are always in place.
Lack of Reliable Specialists
Healthcare organizations must help maintain ownership and control when data is stored in the cloud. Healthcare organizations must ensure clear contractual terms regarding data ownership, use, and control with their cloud provider.
Healthcare Data Storage Requirements
Healthcare organizations have multiple applications and use a variety of databases to manage patient data and other operational information. Some of the most common databases used in healthcare include:
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) databases: EHR systems are used to store and manage patient health records, including details about their medical histories, diagnoses, and treatments. EHR databases can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud and are typically relational databases like SQL Server or Oracle.
- Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) databases: Medical images, including X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, are stored and managed using PACS systems. PACS databases can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud and are often based on the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard.
- Clinical Data Warehouses: Large volumes of clinical data, including lab results, x-rays, and patient demographics, are stored and analyzed in clinical data warehouses. These databases can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud and based on relational databases, NoSQL databases, or hybrid models.
- Healthcare analytics databases: Data is stored and analyzed in healthcare analytics databases for business intelligence, performance management, and other analytical uses. These databases can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud and based on relational databases, NoSQL databases, or data warehouse models.
In general, the selection of database technology for healthcare companies is influenced by various elements, including the volume and complexity of the data, the particular use case, and the organization’s IT architecture and resources. To meet their unique demands, healthcare businesses may also combine on-premise and cloHealthcaredemands.
What Are Common Applications of Cloud Computing in Healthcare?
Cloud computing has numerous applications in healthcare, including:
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems: Health records for patients are stored and managed through electronic health records (EHRs), and cloud-based EHRs can give medical professionals quicker and more accessible access to patient data, allowing for improved care coordination and more precise diagnoses.
- Medical Imaging: Medical providers can access and share photos from any location with an internet connection using cloud-based systems to store and manage medical images.
- Telehealth: Remote consultations and telemedicine services can be made possible via cloud-based telehealth technologies, allowing patients to get care from any location and healthcare providers to communicate with patients more effectively.
- Health Information Exchange (HIE): Cloud-based HIE platforms can facilitate health information exchange between healthcare providers, leading to greater care coordination and more effective healthcare delivery.
- Healthcare Analytics: Healthcare businesses can gather, store, and analyze data using cloud-based analytics tools to identify trends, enhance clinical results, and reduce expenses.
- Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Healthcare businesses may get dependable and secure data backup and recovery from cloud-based backup and recovery solutions, ensuring that valuable data is always accessible in the event of a catastrophe or system failure.
- Clinical Trials and Research: Clinical trial data sharing and analysis can be facilitated by cloud-based technologies, allowing for quicker and more effective research and development of novel therapeutics.
Why Use Bare-Metal Servers For Healthcare?
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A bare-metal server is a single-tenant dedicated server that delivers scalable computing power to healthcare organizations. These servers can be combined in clusters or used in standalone configurations to cater to the requirements of the businesses.
The healthcare industry has an increasing need for storing data collected through various points, including th
Moreover, bare-metal servers provide healthcare organizations with dedicated servers that ensure strict hardware and data access control. Additionally, bare metal servers offer increased stability, better performance, higher security, and many other benefits compared to traditional virtualized environments.
The only downside with bare-metal servers is that they require more maintenance, which can be more expensive than other cloud computing solutions. This is why healthcare organizations need to be extra careful when weighing the benefits and drawbacks before finalizing anything.
If you’re looking for the best bare-metal servers with minimum downsides, get in touch with Red Switches. Our bare-metal servers are available within 48 hours of the order placement. You get round-the-clock support from an expert engineering team that keeps your infrastructure working with interruptions.
Conclusion
Thanks to the quickly developing field of cloud computing, healthcare businesses now have access to new and creative ways to store and share patient data, improve care coordination, and help patients receive prompt and efficient care. Healthcare providers can more quickly access and share data, offer remote treatment, and increase efficiency by utilizing cloud-based solutions. These benefits come with lower costs and more patient satisfaction.
However, it’s crucial for healthcare organizations to carefully weigh the possible advantages and dangers of using the cloud and create a clear implementation plan that considers their particular needs and legal obligations.
If you’re interested to learn more about the application of cloud computing in healthcare, reach out to us today at Red Switches. We are a reliable name in the industry, offering remarkable cloud computing services and managed dedicated servers. We can help you unlock your true potential.
