Cloud computing is nothing new…but it is starting to make headway in the healthcare industry. Cloud computing, or the system of operating using an Internet based system, is widely used in business. Don’t believe me? Do a Google search for Google and see what pops up. Online solutions are running rampant. Until recently, however, healthcare IT hadn’t been able to harness the power of the cloud.

EMR

There has been a lot of talk recently about making healthcare services more efficient. One of the major tenets of improved healthcare efficiency is converting paper-based files to electronic medical records (EMR). The issue has not been resolved in the past due to security issues and the fact that medical offices and hospitals each have their own internal software setups – few of which are compatible with each other. Cloud computing has allowed for an adequate solution.

Keeping medical records on a centralized, online server is the most secure way to handle sensitive information. It is also the best way to ensure that information is easily shared between hospitals and physicians – competing internal software platforms are not an issue in cloud computing models. While there is still debate about how to bring about this change, most agree that cloud-computing is a viable way to make EMR a reality.

Research

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin recently completed a comprehensive study of proteins that resulted in valuable data that could be used across the world. This type of research has been difficult in the past due to outrageous expenses associated with buying and maintaining software programs required to analyze data. With cloud computing, things have changed.

The Medical College of Wisconsin has employed a cloud computing application that allows other research and medical facilities to access a free set of data analysis tools. These medical facilities no longer require the expensive software to study crucial data – they merely need a viable Internet connection!

Surgical Scheduling

In the past, surgical schedulers were required to fax information about an upcoming surgery to hospitals, support staff, device reps, and even patients. Never mind the computer sitting on their desk; everyone demanded paper copies via the fax machine. Just like with the EMR upgrade, cloud computing has provided surgical schedulers a better way.

Case-Connect, a cloud computing based system of surgical scheduling, streamlines the entire process. All applicable parties to the surgery are notified via online communication and have the opportunity to view pertinent data online. No more lost papers or endless follow-up calls. Surgical offices will reap the benefits of improved surgical scheduling and lower costs.

The cloud computing revolution has taken a bit longer to reach our field, but we should embrace its arrival. It’s about time – we deserve the help!