Cloud computing is the delivery of services via the Internet. In the healthcare setting, digital transformations continue to revolutionize a physician’s ability to store, protect, and share patient medical information.
Moving patient information online offers cost-effective data storage, ease of scalability, flexibility, and improved collaboration within peer groups. Switching to cloud storage can rapidly move your practice’s efficiency and patient security to the next level. However, what exactly are the benefits and risks associated with sharing and storing patient information online?
Technology vs. Security
Doctors who make the switch to a trusted cloud storage partner garner the ability to house, securely share, and access enormous amounts of patient medical information instantly.
The speed of sharing protected patient records for specialist consultations is faster, and more reliable than ever. This conduit of internet based diagnostic ability has been proven to save patient lives.
Utilizing secure cloud storage makes sense in our ever-evolving world of healthcare IT. Every practitioner can enjoy the many benefits of cloud innovations including enhanced security, reduced costs with pay as you go models, and immediate disaster recovery.
Medicine moves fast, and hackers move faster, creating a gap that exposes patient information. Cybercriminals target and steal medical data more frequently than any other industry. Healthcare databases are fertile ground for thieves. Patient profiles contain enough information to steal a person’s identity, and worse. This inherent risk necessitates a robust medical data storage solution.
The nature of healthcare information demands that data security be at the forefront of every practice. The value and vulnerability of patient information is well understood. When healthcare organizations use cloud computing solutions, ensuring that patient data protection is a top priority that keeps private patient information private is paramount.
People Want Healthcare Technology
The healthcare sector has been historically slow in adopting technology changes, that trend is shifting. Resistance has been due to barriers including a healthcare professional’s fear of the unknown, costs, workflow disruptions, data breaches, unauthorized access, and regulatory compliance concerns. Given the sensitive nature of protected information, physicians are understandably initially cautious about storing information in the cloud.
The public is in favor of adopting medical cloud computing. Employees largely embrace cloud solutions that work as fast as their day moves.
Providing comprehensive flexible training solutions for any digital solution is key. Healthcare practices must always have a plan in place to recover their data should they make a change in cloud service providers. Delivering impeccable service during any workflow transition is key. When you choose the right partner, healthcare organizations work seamlessly with their vendor and staff to move forward in adopting the new technology.
To add additional layers of security and prepare for success in cloud storage, practices should perform system checks regularly to identify potential security weaknesses, conduct scheduled audits of vendor security practices, and maintain industry compliance.
Physicians can smooth the transition by researching the most trusted cloud healthcare centric vendors that can demonstrate how their compliance protocol works to minimize the risk of data breaches and protect patient privacy. It is crucial that your service partner has the solutions in place to instantly respond to a healthcare information breach. Delays can result in catastrophic consequences including compromise of patient safety, identity theft, and healthcare fraud.
Cloud Innovation Can Save Lives
Cloud innovations allow seamless and instant patient record sharing between healthcare professionals. In complex and urgent cases, patient diagnostic test results can be viewed in real-time by care teams, saving minutes when seconds count.
With immediate access to current patient records, specialists and complex care team members can review completed treatments and allow for diagnostic care that provides informed personalized care plans without overlap and unnecessary testing.
Cloud-based platforms that offer remote care consultations improve patient retention. Patients find telemedicine user friendly. This service expands care access for people living in remote areas with limited medical resources.
Home medical device use and the ease of uploading patient data in real time has saved patients from medical disasters and reduces the frequency of hospitalizations. Wearable sensors, smart implantable medical devices, remote patient monitoring, and novel therapeutic devices can now collect and upload real-time patient diagnostics to cloud-based platforms. These digital solutions improve healthcare by eliminating wait time to implement the appropriate diagnostic interventions.
Cloud-based telehealth services (telemedicine) has emerged as a practice-changing solution for millions of healthcare providers. Telehealth services allow remote access to medical care and expands access to quality healthcare services for a growing group of patients with previously limited medical access. This is particularly beneficial for those who reside in rural or underserved and low population areas lacking advanced medical facilities. Patients can now schedule virtual appointments, receive medical advice, and even mail-order prescriptions without the need to travel for care.
Many patients view remote medical care and virtual consultations as the new normal doctor appointment. Digital diagnostic healthcare is no longer the future of medicine, it is here to stay.
Healthcare providers can increase the benefit of telemedicine by reaching a wider patient base to grow their practice and reduce administrative burdens and costs associated with in-person patient care. While the benefits of cloud-based telehealth services are evident, there are still challenges to overcome for widespread adoption. These challenges often are due to the lack of reliable internet connectivity for patients in remote areas.
Reinvent Your Practice
In the healthcare industry, reliable data storage is a necessity for managing the vast amount of patient information generated by practices every year. Cloud computing offers information management and storage solutions with scalable and cost-effective options. Patients positively respond to the ability to access their medical information online, and it changes how healthcare practitioners and clinics deliver services to patients.
When adopting cloud storage solutions to streamline healthcare data management, it is important your vendor follow current best practices, prioritize patient data protection, and adhere to industry regulations, such as HIPAA, HITRUST, and ISO 27001 compliance.
Almost every healthcare professional is in a daily race against time. Administrative duties, software upgrades, regulation changes, and infrastructure maintenance burn the time physicians would rather spend with their patients. The level of patient care can be easily eroded as technology continues to impact the way doctors manage medicine.
Cloud computing provides a firm foundation for digital transformation in healthcare practices. The cloud gives healthcare organizations the tools and resources needed to deliver high-quality care, speed communication and physician collaboration, and move medical care forward.
Digital transformation has become a crucial aspect of healthcare organizations, and cloud computing plays a pivotal role in driving this transformation. By integrating cloud computing into their operations, healthcare organizations can harness the power of technology to improve patient care. As healthcare technology continues to improve and grow, the abundance of groundbreaking applications that improve patient outcomes and support healthcare advancements will follow suit. Virtual OfficeWare Healthcare Solutions is your experienced integration partner. They offer secure, cost-effective options that incorporate yesterday’s practice management with the future of today’s technology. The move to the cloud does not need to be stressful, at Virtual OfficeWare Healthcare Solutions, we make the transition easy. We’re not just going to implement medical software; we live up to our name and will ensure you’re provided with healthcare solutions. Give us a call at (412) 424-6352 or contact us online, we’ll take it from there.
