How cloud computing transforms healthcare businesses

The cloud provides the simplest and quickest access to myriad software and resources. It's now at the forefront of business computing, having proven itself as a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective IT solution in comparison to traditional on-premises infrastructures.

The trend of adopting cloud technology is even permeating the healthcare industry, significantly changing the way healthcare providers deliver services to patients. Numerous advancements in connectivity, security, and cloud services now enable healthcare businesses to address several industry challenges, such as improving healthcare accessibility and safeguarding medical records, among other key issues.

Here’s how cloud computing is changing the healthcare industry.

Better healthcare access

Access to healthcare is a major issue in remote locations as well as for patients with busy schedules. That's why remote accessibility is one of the biggest advantages of utilizing the cloud. The use of cloud technologies allows healthcare businesses to provide telehealth or virtual care solutions. These solutions encompass telemedicine, post-hospitalization care plans, and virtual medication adherence.

Telemedicine allows healthcare professionals to provide clinical services to patients without an in-person visit. This approach typically involves live video conferencing, mobile communications, or remote patient monitoring (RPM). In particular, cloud-based telehealth systems and applications make it easy to share healthcare data and communicate with patients during the preventative, treatment, and recovery phases. The improved accessibility to healthcare information also enables patients to make informed decisions pertaining to their own health.

Better healthcare access ushers in a bigger market for virtual care products and applications. For instance, there is a growing number of virtual medication adherence products that remind the patient when it’s time to take medicine, keep logs, and even automatically order refills.

All in all, the distribution of healthcare services and information via the cloud provides greater convenience while enhancing the patient experience by allowing immediate contact, care, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions.

Curbing drug theft and counterfeiting

Stealing, counterfeiting, and selling expired medicine create a slew of economic and social consequences, posing significant threats to patients and providers alike. One way to address these problems is by ramping up medication audits. In fact, the government recently passed the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, which requires every part of a pharmaceutical supply chain to monitor and report status on drugs during transportation. This gave birth to a market for solutions that track and log supply chain events in real time as well as report suspicious activities.

Resource efficiency

The healthcare industry generates an incredible amount of valuable data. Meanwhile, the basic premises of cloud computing are off-site data storage and on-demand computing power. It’s a match made in heaven: the cloud stores and manages heaps of information, and hospitals and healthcare providers don’t have to worry about hardware and server operation, security, and maintenance. Also, as cloud-based environments are scalable, businesses only have to pay for the resources they use, allowing them to keep costs in check.

Enhanced data privacy

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) pertains primarily to how information is shared outside a healthcare facility. Essentially, this legislation prohibits healthcare providers from sharing sensitive patient information, except in certain circumstances (e.g., when authorities are looking for a fugitive). To comply with HIPAA regulations, healthcare organizations are migrating their data to the cloud, as using cloud-based solutions provides access to the latest security technologies and reduces individual liability. Data stored in the cloud can be kept secure through data encryption as well as the use of security keys for access.

Thanks to the recent advances in cloud computing, healthcare providers are now in a better position to deploy greater healthcare solutions. With streamlined operations, simplified compliance, and highly secured systems, the only job left for the healthcare industry is to deliver superior patient care.

As one of the top IT companies in Houston, Safebit Solutions keeps the IT infrastructures of numerous Texas healthcare organizations compliant, fast, and secure. We help them to stay compliant with the increasingly complex HIPAA demands and keep their networks up and running at all times — because downtime in the healthcare industry can be a matter of life and death. Get in touch with us for more information about our medical IT support solutions. Let Safebit attend to the health of your IT infrastructure so you can attend to the health of your patients.