Leveraging Cloud Strategies for Enhanced Patient and Clinician Experience
The healthcare industry has a critical need to adopt modern cloud strategies that provide secure, quick and flexible access to the data needed to improve patient and clinician experiences, increase efficiency and streamline operations.
Historically, the healthcare industry has lagged behind other industries in adopting modern cloud strategies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created urgency for healthcare organizations to embrace cloud migration as they rapidly adapted to new models of care. Now, with the surge of AI and big data use cases, these organizations are tasked with making data and applications available to a variety of end-users in different locations, from clinicians and support staff to patients and caregivers.
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To achieve this seamless care experience — no matter where or how that care is provided — the healthcare industry has a critical need to connect people, technology and data. By adopting a modern cloud strategy, healthcare organizations can provide secure, quick and flexible access to the data needed to improve patient and clinician experiences, increase efficiency and streamline operations.
A hybrid cloud strategy, which uses a combination of public, private and on-premises cloud infrastructure, is often the optimal operating model for healthcare organizations seeking to integrate existing infrastructure with cloud-based solutions; optimize costs, efficiencies and flexibility; and ultimately improve experiences and outcomes.
Use cases for cloud migration in healthcare
Healthcare organizations are leveraging cloud technologies in various ways, including:
- Using hybrid cloud strategies to modernize data management infrastructure. By migrating certain workloads to the cloud, healthcare organizations are increasingly able to leverage AI and data analytics to gain valuable insights from vast amounts of patient data. This is helping clinicians make more informed care decisions, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
- Leveraging cloud-based telemedicine platforms to facilitate remote patient monitoring and timely care regardless of geographical barriers.
- Transitioning to cloud-based contact centers to enable an omnichannel approach with integration of modern digital and AI solutions to improve efficiency and engage with patients more effectively. This transition is leading to cost savings, operational improvements and increased capacity to support patient and customer support agents.
Building a comprehensive cloud strategy
Adopting a cloud-based operating model poses unique challenges for healthcare organizations. The sheer volume of sensitive patient data generated presents security and compliance concerns, particularly with regulations around protected health information (PHI). Budget constraints and a shortage of cloud expertise within healthcare IT teams further complicate the adoption process.
To overcome these challenges and build a sustainable cloud strategy, healthcare organizations must:
- Invest in upfront planning and organizational alignment: Spend time on detailed planning upfront. Proper planning can prevent issues and rework later in the process. We recommend developing a clear business case for cloud that includes both the short-term and long-term costs, which applications and workloads should migrate to the cloud and why, and the anticipated benefits. Establishing a cloud center of excellence (CCoE) — an internal team that develops cloud strategy, governance principles and best practices across an organization — is an ideal first step in the planning process. A comprehensive cloud strategy must detail your cloud use cases, migration strategies, training plans, application and data strategies, security measures, and internal processes for managing the cloud operating model. Consider a hybrid cloud strategy that balances on-premises infrastructure investments with public and private cloud resources. This approach typically allows for greater flexibility and scalability, which is particularly beneficial for handling the complex data needs of healthcare organizations. This can help manage expectations and ensure ongoing financial sustainability post-migration.
- Manage your data: Conduct a thorough assessment and classification of existing data. Determine which workloads should be migrated to the cloud, what application rationalization work (if any) needs to be done to facilitate migration, and which should remain on-premises. This helps manage costs and reduces complexity. Improve data accessibility and integration across various applications and systems. This allows clinicians to access comprehensive and timely information, enhancing patient care and operational efficiency. Plan for the integration of AI and big data analytics. Cloud platforms offer advanced tools and services that can drive innovation in patient care, personalized medicine and operational efficiency.
- Leverage industry-specific solutions: Public cloud hyperscalers are stepping up to address the specific needs of the healthcare industry. Collaborations between cloud providers and electronic health record (EHR) vendors have paved the way for the seamless migration of critical healthcare systems to cloud platforms. These solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of healthcare organizations, including regulatory compliance and large-scale data handling.
- Enhance security: Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive patient data. Leverage the security features and certifications provided by cloud service providers to ensure compliance with healthcare regulations such as HIPAA.
- Upskill IT teams: Invest in training and development for IT teams to build cloud expertise. This includes understanding cloud infrastructure, security protocols and data management best practices.
- Monitor and optimize: Continuously monitor cloud performance and optimize the environment for cost, efficiency and security. This involves regular reviews and adjustments based on evolving needs and technological advancements. Adopt a cloud FinOps culture to optimize cloud spending by fostering collaboration between technology, finance and business teams to maximize cloud value through a data-driven approach. This cultural shift integrates financial management principles with cloud operations, supported by your CCoE.
By following these steps, healthcare organizations can effectively develop and implement a cloud strategy that enhances operational efficiency, improves patient care and clinician experience, and supports future innovation.
Final thoughts
Looking toward the future, we anticipate a continued increase in hosting clinical systems in the cloud. Advancements in cloud technology and industry-specific solutions offered by cloud providers will further drive innovation in AI services and the proliferation of industry-specific SaaS solutions. Healthcare IT leaders must focus on strategic planning for cloud migration, invest in skills training for cloud technologies, and leverage industry-specific solutions to stay competitive in the evolving healthcare landscape.
The journey to the cloud offers immense potential for healthcare organizations to position themselves for success in the digital age.
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