There’s no denying how drastically cloud computing has transformed the world of healthcare for the better, and continues to do so to this day. As stated by HIT Infrastructure, cloud adoption across healthcare has enabled the expansion of IT operations, improved data security measures and enhanced the overall care experience for patients.
“Healthcare organizations today are looking to improve patient experience, increase data interoperability and deliver both virtual and value-based care,” Cheryl Rodenfels, a healthcare strategist, told HIT Infrastructure. “These outcomes cannot be achieved without harnessing the power of flexible and secure cloud infrastructure.”
According to the 2019 Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index, digital transformation across various industries has encouraged corporations to get behind cloud implementation, and 68% of healthcare organizations reportedly agreed that it impacted their decision to make the move. More specifically, a hybrid model is the cloud-computing solution of the future:
“A hybrid cloud model enables IT teams to secure patient data and ensure regulatory compliance while allowing healthcare providers to continue delivering advanced technological care to extend patient experience to the digital space,” Rodenfels told HIT Infrastructure.
To that end, let’s take a closer look at cloud computing and healthcare in terms of applications and benefits, and how these factors relate specifically to the dental industry:
What is Cloud Computing in Healthcare?
In simplistic terms, cloud computing is the action of transferring computing resources from a local server or data storage architecture that’s managed on-premises or offsite to an internet-based option through a secure connection. Cloud computing in healthcare involves moving from an external database provider that expects practitioners to install and maintain machines for holding healthcare information to a web-based solution that all care providers can access from anywhere at any time, as long as there’s an internet connection.
By providing real-time remote access to specific resources and fundamental applications for care providers, cloud computing has completely changed the way the healthcare industry operates.
Applications of Cloud Computing in Healthcare
Cloud adoption allows for flexibility and increased security measures over a wide scale of care opportunities in the healthcare space. Some examples of cloud computing applications include:
Clinical Management: Electronic health records give providers real-time access to patient health history to make data-based decisions on care. Information accessed may include diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and laboratory and test results, according to Health IT.
Non-Clinical Management: Revenue cycle management, which entails what healthcare facilities use to manage claims processing, payments and revenue generation within an office, according to Rev Cycle Intelligence.
Patient Management: Patient claims and appointment scheduling becomes a seamless – and paperless – operation when the cloud is involved.
Benefits of cloud computing in healthcare and dentistry
Moving to the cloud allows for greater access to health information, improved data storage and more. Here are some of the ways cloud computing benefits the world of healthcare and, more specifically, dentistry:
Enhanced Workflow Speed
When doctors, nurses, dentists and dental hygienists have easy access to electronic health records, these professionals can ensure streamlined, productive visits for each patient.
Reduced Costs
Purchasing hardware and servers, as well as IT staff to store and manage data, becomes a thing of the past. Cloud-storage data comes with no upfront costs, which can save organizations money in the long-run, according to Health IT Outcomes.
Greater Data Access
Extracting precise patient information prior to care delivery allows providers to administer the best possible care plan for patients and reduce errors along the ways that could result in unsatisfactory care results.
Improved Security Measures
While those who are not yet on board with cloud computing may worry about the security of vulnerable patient information, the cloud is a safe and protected environment for all data. As explained by Health IT Outcomes, proper security measures like security access keys and blockchain for secure information are a few of the different strategies for keeping sensitive patient data securely stored in the cloud, ensuring a reduced risk for information exposure.
Trust in axiUm Ascend for Safe and Secure Cloud Computing in Dental Hygiene
Keeping patient information safe is a top priority for dental hygiene practices and institutions, and dental hygiene software vendors understand just how critical it is to maintain data integrity in a secure database while taking on day-to-day tasks. That’s where Exan’s trusted axiUm Ascend makes a measurable impact.
This cloud-based practice management system was created to protect all patient data by maximizing its security measures and patient management capabilities. It’s designed to reduce threats like theft and malware, as well as human error and accidental loss of information. In the world of cloud computing and healthcare, axiUm Ascend goes above and beyond to ensure information safety for dental patients, while also creating an effective management solution for dental hygiene students, staff and practitioners.
Ready to weave together your current practices into one central system? Contact us today to learn more about axiUm Ascend.
Sources:
https://www.nutanix.com/enterprise-cloud-index
https://hitinfrastructure.com/news/digital-transformation-boosts-cloud-adoption-in-health-industry
https://www.exansoftware.com/cloud-computing-makes-on-premise-and-remote-work-one-and-the-same/
https://www.healthit.gov/faq/what-electronic-health-record-ehr
https://revcycleintelligence.com/features/what-is-healthcare-revenue-cycle-management
https://www.healthitoutcomes.com/doc/ways-cloud-computing-is-impacting-healthcare-0001
https://www.exansoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/axiUm-Ascend-Security-White-Paper-v2.pdf
https://www.exansoftware.com/cloud-computing-makes-on-premise-and-remote-work-one-and-the-same/
