Today healthcare information is more valuable than ever, and it is incumbent on providers to protect their patient’s personal identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI). A large part of making sure that information is protected is by ensuring its safe storage and delivery. There are many benefits of cloud computing for different industries, and when it comes to healthcare, the top 5 benefits of cloud computing for healthcare that appear consistently are enhanced patient care, increased data security, improved record keeping, lowered storage costs, and support of cloud connected medical devices.
#1: Enhanced Patient Care/Safety:
When it comes to patient care, time and safety is of the essence. With the implementation of cloud computing in healthcare, time consuming processes such as waiting for comprehensive results and trying to find a new provider become much more streamlined. Patients no longer must go through the process of re-establishing what has already been said to previous providers and risk forgetting or overlooking a vital piece of information. They can also be rest assured that their medical information will be protected during the process of changing hands.
#2: Increased Data Security:
Right from the start, healthcare facilities not having to rely on paper record-keeping cuts down on risks such as the records being more easily lost or stolen. Outsourcing data storage is a better way to keep track of all the information in a secure way. It also removes any potential complications, such as power outages or equipment limitations, that could arise when using an on-site data storage.
#3: Improved Record Keeping:
Currently, all healthcare providers are required to convert all medical charts into a digital format as per, “The Electronic Medical Records Mandate,” which went into effect in January 2014. This mandate is why the previously mentioned benefit of data security in healthcare is so important. With the implementation of electronic record keeping, information is allowed to be stored much easier and quicker. Healthcare providers are also able to make quicker updates when seeing recurring problems and obtain records for new patients from separate healthcare providers.
#4: Lowered Storage Costs:
In addition to improved record keeping, healthcare professionals will also see a reduction in cost when it comes to utilizing cloud computing in healthcare for their data storage. There is a lower initial cost when utilizing the cloud rather than on-site storage. Hospitals would also have less to worry about additional costs when it comes to tracking IT, and maintenance, and other cloud upkeep related factors as that is the responsibility of the cloud provider.
#5: Support of Cloud Connected Medical Devices:
Looking to the future of cloud computing for healthcare, for all the reasons previously mentioned, there is a lot of potential for future research in health and medicine. Cloud-supported medical devices make information more accessible, healthcare professionals can reference multiple data points quicker to aid in research. This could also potentially aid in quicker diagnoses and the sharing of medical imaging if, for example, an emergency happens away from home.
This is, of course, a high-level overview of the benefits of cloud computing for the healthcare industry.
