Cloud Computing in Healthcare

Cloud computing is a valuable tool for healthcare companies. It is the delivery of computing services, such as software, databases, analytics, servers, intelligence, and more, through the cloud. All the storage within these services is done over the Internet. So what does this mean for the healthcare industry? What kind of medical advances are now available to local doctors and medical researchers since vast amounts of data are now being shared on a global scale? The answer is, simply put, a lot. 

Silos: the old way.

A silo is what used to be the typical storage system healthcare companies used for medical data. Siloing data limits and prevents the sharing of medical findings and information between organizations globally. Silos will not necessarily end with cloud computing because some information and data will still need to remain confidential simply for personal and moral reasons. Many believe that the use of silos disrupts the healthcare system, as it technically allows organizations to legally hide potential medical breakthroughs or groundbreaking findings from other organizations. These cases are completely up to the specific company’s discretion. However, many companies are in fact resorting to cloud computing because it is changing and will continue to change the way healthcare is performed all across the globe. 

What data is in the cloud?

Thankfully, cloud computing is significantly decreasing the use of silos. With cloud computing on the rise in healthcare, communication is being formed between organizations that were previously disconnected or completely unknown to each other. The sharing and storing of data in the cloud allow for greater knowledge and insight into medical topics all across the board. This can also increase staff retention by exposing positions in fields that were previously unknown to healthcare professionals. Ultimately, it can assist in many people finding their niche in the industry to expedite the research process and maximize the quality of findings. Lastly, and most significantly, cloud computing in healthcare can allow for new drugs and cures for devastating diseases to be developed and shared between organizations much faster. This can, in turn, save multiple patients’ lives and boost the economy and success of the healthcare industry itself. 

On the way to a new way.

Our world is changing everyday in many aspects, but cloud computing in healthcare is one thing that is shifting the way we view medicine. The sharing of resources is crucial in developing medical breakthroughs, and with data being shared between multiple organizations in hundreds of different countries, this groundbreaking data can be received by any healthcare company with just a click of a button. Needless to say, thanks to the cloud, healthcare technology could improve significantly in just the next few years.