Cloud technology makes healthcare innovation soar

Leaders are right to be concerned about the integrity and security of their company’s data. However, many may not realise that, though the risks are real, numerous mitigating solutions are already embedded into the underlying architecture of the cloud. And to address hesitancy around the ability of cloud-based systems to meet the needs of the heavily regulated healthcare industry, cloud service providers (CSPs) include built-in features to make their products pre-compliant with regulatory agencies. They also build in the ability to update as requirements change to maintain compliance.

Resistance to change can also come from those who have a limited knowledge of cloud technology, even within hospital IT departments. Starting conversations about the reality of the risks and how they will be addressed can help to minimise resistance. Making sure that stakeholders are educated about the benefits to patients and to the business before mandating change can also facilitate a positive culture shift.

Some individuals or teams within a company may view the embracing of cloud technology as “an IT thing.” They may think that it doesn’t concern them if they’re not directly involved with the tech stack of the organisation. But the wide variety of benefits that cloud technology brings means that its possibilities can (and should) touch almost every aspect of the business. 

When leaders are open and transparent in their internal communications about the reasons for moving to the cloud and involve their staff in conversations about potential risks and benefits, this creates the kind of shift that helps foster acceptance. It can also generate ideas for process change and innovations that maximise infrastructure investments even more. 

Education and transparency shouldn’t stop with team leaders, it should extend to those outside of the corporate environment as well. Ensuring that administrators, doctors, staff and even patients, understand the many benefits of cloud technology, and the processes in place to reduce risk and improve care, can smooth the transition and encourage widespread acceptance.

With the needs of those being served in mind, it’s possible to envision a variety of applications for data that is easily accessible to approved systems and users: 

• Data organised and shared among geographically dispersed locations creates efficiency by minimising the need to duplicate data collection and analysis efforts. This saves administrative time and resources, and also delivers faster, more personalised options for end users, whether they are researchers, clinicians, or patients.

• Products can be conceptualised, developed, tested, and brought to market faster.

• Regulatory compliance can be managed and updated as needed remotely, saving time and effort.

• Teams don’t have to “reinvent the wheel”, by figuring out how to set up tools such as LLMs or vectors. They can use existing building blocks and experiment. 

• Cloud services enable development of digital twins, which can reduce the need real-world testing by 50%

• Future innovations can be integrated faster, helping organisations stay at the forefront of new developments. 

Perhaps most valuable of all, cloud-based systems enable almost limitless capacity for expansion, providing the ability to include processes or applications created by others and/or add additional functionality.

When medical diagnostics company Renalytix needed to integrate their groundbreaking AI system with hospitals and healthcare providers, creating a cloud-based portal was part of the answer.

Renalytix uses artificial intelligence to assess patient biomarker data for potential markers of kidney disease. This technology has the potential to save millions of lives and millions of dollars in costs to healthcare providers. But integrating the software for each different provider presented issues that could have taken years to solve.

To address this challenge, a cloud-based portal was developed to allow physicians to access the application without integrating it into their hospital’s system. This eliminated many time-consuming hurdles and opened up options for potential Renalytix customers to try the solution before committing to a lengthy integration process.

Coupled with Open Source software solutions that offer the ability to integrate and adapt existing code for speed and cost benefits, moving to the cloud gives organisations the opportunity to chart a path toward more effective, more personalised care for patients. Furthermore, the business benefits from the flexibility, constantly growing functionality and agility that cloud technology provides.