Overview
Cloud computing is becoming pronounced in the healthcare industry. More and more Hospitals/physicians are embracing the idea of firms outside the healthcare realm entering into partnerships with healthcare vendors to offer cloud services. There is a host of ways that the new technology can be incorporated in healthcare from Electronic Health Record (EHR) storage by Hospitals/physicians to hourly rate rentals by established pharmaceutical firms. Like any other technological phenomenon, cloud computing has its advantages and disadvantages, such as cost saving on the one hand, and scrutinized regulations pertaining privacy on the other (Ciampa & Revels, 2012). Faced with problems of inability to access data from remote areas, need for too much office space and health information security concerns, Helena Hospital can find many benefits through a software as a service (Saas) and clinical information systems.
SaaS and clinical information systems are applicationa that operate on remote-hosted platforms and client or devices (Wolper, 2012). The health practitioners are able to improve the manner that health practitioners keep, maintain and update records of the clients. The access to applications and clinical information is done through terminal services or virtual private networks that offer the user a web-based application. In regard to security and compliance, there is the use of ICD-10 that applies HIPPA operation standards called ANSI 5010 with the objective of submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid. There are also Accountable Care Organizations that connect, track, associate and report to providers and companies (Ciampa & Revels, 2012). The clinical information system is user friendly and allows the presentation of the information to a number of systems. Generally both products saves space where they are applied and are reliable where need.
Impact
Hospitals and medical companies are facing emerging EHR needs. The ICD-10 that is to be applied by medical coders uses 3 to 7 digits from the initial 3 to 5. It is hence expected that the effort that is applied will increase. Prior to the application of the ICD-10, there has to be use of HIPAA operation standards also called ANSI 5010 that is used for submitting claims. With the handling of security and compliance, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) needs technology that interfaces, collaborate and reports the providers. These changes offers challenges if there is a lacking IT department, skilled staff or enough software systems that have to use a wide range of operational financial depth (Ciampa & Revels, 2012)..
With the application of the Software-as-a-Service and clinical information systems Helena Hospital the health practitioners are able to access the records from remote areas at ease from a web based platform (Sittig et al, 1996). The two cloud computing products offer a better way of recording data from the field in addition to saving space as they take up the role played by the huge servers that occupied too much office space. Speed and reliability is acquired as opposed to the frustration caused by servers with loss of data. This adds to security as important data acquired from the patient is saved in a proper way and maintaining them is done in cheaper way. Client’s records are hard to be access and altered as proper authentication mechanisms are offered to the relevant departments and persons (Gartee, 2011). The impacts may however involve huge costs and skills that a company has to have to be able to use these products.
Advantages
Transition to SaaS and cloud services would provide Helena Hospital to choose EHR vendors with most expertise in healthcare cloud computing, use state-of-the-art technologies and architectures, and have a proven record of compliance and security.
Security, compliance, and privacy
Healthcare cloud services and cloud hosting companies are required to meet security and compliance requirements spelled out by ICD-10 and ANSI 5010. Cloud-based healthcare software solutions are required to be 100 percent HIPAA compliant, and protect all electronic data against any unauthorized retrieval. Hosting services that employ hardware-assisted security platforms offer protection from any breach of protected health information. In addition, cloud-based systems help improve secure access together with sharing of protected information through health information exchanges with the ability to connect Helena Hospital and governing medical bodies e.g. insurance companies, and federal and state governments.
Cost efficiency & improved focus
SaaS Cloud computing has emerged as a cost saving mechanism for Helena Hospitals and its physicians. This is especially true considering that it is relatively expensive to purchase and maintain EHR systems equipment. Using large scale cloud providers would be more cost effective for Helena Hospital because they rule out the need for heavy and consistent investment in personnel, hardware, and software. Furthermore, majority of healthcare cloud-computing vendors provide round the clock service and IT management for their clients. In addition, cloud-computing vendors support the technology and services that serve to satisfy Meaningful Use incentives (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2011).
In light of more stringent healthcare regulations and compliance, embracing cloud-computing SaaS is not only economical but also improves core business performance. Outsourcing EHR/EMR would afford Helena Hospital increased ability to focus on maintaining patient care as well as making sense of the business as opposed to maintaining IT expertise.
Flexibility and scalability
Healthcare cloud-computing services are not only flexible but also robust and scalable, where they offer great support for medical practices at every stage of business growth. The in-house software only holds pre-programmed reports that are less detailed to meet needs of such a multi-practice organization (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2011). Cloud-computing and SaaS enables most EHR services to be phased in as required along with easy assess of data across all clinical practices thus offering robust reporting capabilities.
Disadvantages
Security of personal health information on the cloud computing is a major source of concern. Consumers are skeptical about the cloud computing could afford insurance companies access to their health information and take discriminatory measures on the basis of present medical conditions or likely later-life conditions (Gartee, 2011). Similarly, consumers worry of government agencies acquiring their information and exploit to third party venders, or employers.
Cloud hosting companies are also known to outsource some of their security responsibilities to third party vendors. This places a burden of patients to substantiate the parties involved and ascertain the reputation in terms of dealing with health information before sending their medical records over cloud (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2011). In addition, cloud computing is vulnerable to server crashes which can be a great inconvenient given that healthcare is largely a time-sensitive industry.
Example:
South Florida Medicine is a good example of a health institution that has implemented Cloud-computing in EHR. The upgrade was necessitated by the center’s rapid growth from a single specialty in radiation to big multi-specialty practice. There was a problem of easier assess to data as well as multi-level reporting. South Florida Medicine chose a healthcare IT platform, CareCloud, to help consolidate its data along with workflow for her multiple locations (Gartee, 2011). CareCloud’s data centers, technology platforms, and infrastructure are secured and monitored at levels exceeding HIPAA’s requirements. The hospital is now able to grow rapidly without extra in-house expensive servers, or having to expand their IT department. cloud computing has enabled the organization’s members can easily and quickly access apps and the IT platform as well improved privacy, security, and compliance.
References
Ciampa, M. & Revels, M, (2012). Introduction to Healthcare Information Technology. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2011). Book Only: Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge: Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Sittig DF, Kuperman GJ, Teich JM (1996). WWW-based interfaces to clinical information systems: the state of the art. Proc AMIA Annu Fall Symp:694–698.
Gartee, R. (2011). Understanding and Using Computerized Medical Records. New Jersey: Pearson.
Wolper, L. (2012).Physician Practice Management. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Publishers
