In the highly competitive healthcare industry, technology is continuously improving. Many hospitals have already transitioned to electronic health records (EHRs), a digital version of paper medical information. As a result of this shift in healthcare, administrative staff, physicians, and nurses now have immediate access to medical records when they are needed. Many medical facilities’ electronic health records are now kept in traditional client-server systems. In this aspect, IT and cloud technology has already aided in simplifying operations, making the process far more efficient and patient-centric than in the past.
Cloud computing penetration in the healthcare industry has been increasing year after year. According to one recent industry analysis, the Healthcare Cloud Computing market was worth $20.9 billion in 2019, and it’s predicted to expand to $90.46 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9%. Let’s look at what medical offices might use cloud technology for as we enter a new era of technological advancement.
What Do Medical Offices Use Cloud Technology For
In the United States, the adoption of cloud storage for electronic medical information has sped up the process of collaborative patient care. Doctors can examine or share a patient’s medical records more easily using cloud storage, especially since most patients’ medical records were likely kept in different files at each doctor, specialist, or hospital they saw in the past. This separation of information made it impossible for doctors to work together on a patient’s care. This more significant usage of cloud storage means hospitals can ‘speak’ with one another more easily, record and look back on patient and physician interactions, and provide care with the entire patient history.
Doctors used to keep their patient records mostly in paper files in the past. There was always a considerable amount of potentially valuable data in these patient files that could be used to detect subtle correlations in inpatient illnesses or to figure out which treatments might work better than others due to their previous usage. The previously inaccessible data in filing cabinets can now be searched through and analyzed using the most advanced computer algorithms available, thanks to the emergence of cloud computing in hospitals and physician practices. This will allow healthcare providers to discover and respond to public health problems that would otherwise go undetected for a long time.
Cloud computing is based on the on-demand availability of computer resources such as data storage and processing power. There are no upfront costs connected with hardware costs or data storage in the cloud. You just pay for the resources you utilize, resulting in significant cost savings. In addition, a cloud-based platform is ideal for growing and undergoing a complete revamp while keeping expenses low. This cloud storage usage means that healthcare providers and organizations can spend more money on research and treatment than the back-end development of organizational systems.
HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, was passed by Congress in 1996, with the Security Rule added in 2003. Together, these acts establish security standards for electronically protected health information as they apply to covered entities, such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, insurers, other healthcare companies, and business associates. It also covers cloud services and IT providers, who process this information on healthcare organizations. Furthermore, by automating backups and providing disaster recovery alternatives, cloud computing increases the reliability of data redundancy and system uptime. Hospitals find it easier to follow HIPAA rules internally and externally with other providers and healthcare companies by using cloud storage.
In the medical industry, cloud computing is fast becoming a requirement. It could be the key to transforming healthcare by allowing medical providers to communicate patient information in real-time, urgent instances. Because of the financial and organizational benefits, healthcare organizations will continue to migrate to cloud computing. Working with a managed IT service provider will offer you the knowledge and experience you need to achieve the HIPAA compliance requirements for your cloud environment.
Managed Services Group’s vision is to be the best IT Services provider in Central Florida. We want to work alongside you to make your business thrive. Contact us today to find out how our team can help your medical office make the switch to cloud storage–and see what other services we can offer you.
