In the modern healthcare industry landscape, the capacity to handle huge amounts of data as well as responding to them efficiently is becoming a necessity. People must be able to reach healthcare institutions whenever they need them, and healthcare must be  accessible enough. Cloud computing has aided healthcare in improving its capacity for medical response through internet-based data storage and intelligent analytics. The healthcare industry then is among the industries which benefit from the cloud.

For the period of 2013 to 2018, Cisco’s Global Cloud Index forecasted that 59% of all cloud workflows worldwide would be delivered as SaaS (software-as-a-service). The same study also observed another relevant note: that 89% of employees’ mobile devices were connected to corporate networks. In the context of healthcare, this connectivity enables providers to connect easily with their patients.

Healthcare Reliability Through the Cloud

The healthcare industry has the huge responsibility to save lives. To be able to do so more efficiently, it is beginning to adapt the Cloud, which offers the following benefits:

• Information Integration:  Because of the Cloud, it is easier than ever to store and consolidate medical data and patient historical information. In fact, data consolidation deals among healthcare mergers and acquisitions have reached $63.2 billion in 2017 alone.
  
  
• Security and Accessibility.  Healthcare providers are beginning to appreciate that the Cloud is more secured and sophisticated than their on-premise applications.  With Cloud, healthcare providers are able to share information securely with their stakeholders such as patients, healthcare providers, and partners. Special credentials are given to these stakeholders to ensure that they are indeed authorized to access information. This also makes them compliant with government regulations and other IT security certifications, thus boosting their reputation.

Also, in cases of unexpected events such as data corruption or natural calamities, the Cloud can be a safe backup place for data. Frequent alerts can be sent if data breaches occur, allowing for quick-response backup and recovery.

• Lower Costs. The subscription model of  the Cloud makes it a lot more affordable investment compared to the capital expenditures an enterprise would have to spend if it opts for on-premises tech. Cloud migration also helps healthcare providers lower staffing costs.
• Improved Analytics.  Not only is the Cloud loud capable of handling massive amounts of data, but it is also capable of efficient analyses of various historical data to improve research for further medical application, such as genomics.

Some Beneficiaries of the Healthcare Cloud

As with any businesses, healthcare providers must be able to establish their reliability by being available on-demand for patients. Enterprises which invested in the customer-centric Cloud solutions reported to have a 5% growth in customer retention, thus leading to up to 95% increase in revenues. This approach allows end-users to perform custom actions to avail the services of the providers, whose performance were also measured through the Cloud.

Medtronic, a medical device company, uses IBM’s cloud services to collate various data on drug administration, medical findings, and the lifestyle of patients to educate patients about their medication. IBM’s cloud has also been used by Biop Medical to develop its imaging techniques to detect cancer cells.

Another notable example is Ribera Salud, a firm based in Spain which pioneered the digitization of hospitals in the country. Contracted by the regional authority, Ribera Salud made use of a model which integrates business, clinic, and ICT to convert patient data to information which healthcare practitioners can use to efficiently perform their tasks.

Remarkably in Singapore, the HealthHub app allows citizens to view their health records and make medical appointments. Launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Health, this cloud-based app aims to bring health literacy to the people right on their smartphones, helping them lead a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Healthcare is just one among various industries which the Cloud can positively impact. These case studies illustrate the benefits of using Cloud computing in the healthcare industry. Thus, organizations pursuing Cloud technology in the healthcare services increase their chances of fulfilling their mandate of saving lives and improving public health.