The healthcare industry has undergone seismic changes over the last couple of years—the Covid-19 pandemic required health services to perform well beyond their normal capabilities, with every sector of the healthcare industry sent into overdrive to deal with a tidal wave of cases.
In these times of unprecedented pressure and urgency, it was down to those within the healthcare technology sector to innovate and accelerate the implementation of new technologies, so that the world could make the most effective and efficient response possible to the pandemic.
An example of this accelerated change in action was in the design and delivery of vaccines in extraordinary time frames, with healthcare scientists and professionals condensing research, innovation, production, and quality control into just a fraction of the time in which vaccines are produced in ordinary times.
One major factor in the ability of the healthcare sector to accelerate their processes is the impact of software and cloud computing: in both the local hospital setting, covering day-to-day operations of staff and the wellbeing of patients; and the health technology sector, where the development of software-based solutions helps to improve standards across the board.
Read on to find out more about the impact that cloud computing and software development has had on the healthcare sector.
Managing sensitive data
One of the most important functions for hospitals to perform efficiently and effectively is the data storage of patient and staff records. There are strict rules regarding the handling of patient records, due to the confidentiality of the information and the need for absolute privacy.
With such vast amounts of data now collected through the analysis of patients, it has become a task too lengthy to complete manually (without wasting staff time and encountering human errors along the way).
Not only can cloud-based storage solutions keep this data safe and process it with faultless accuracy and speed, but they can offer intelligent insights through detailed analysis of the data to make decisions on different aspects of patient care and staff resource distribution.
Improving accessibility
One aspect of healthcare, and particularly patient care, that cloud computing has significantly improved is the accessibility to important information and data—especially when a patient is interacting with a number of doctors and physicians.
Cloud storage means that patient records and data can be updated in real time, and significantly reduce complications associated with transferring data and ensuring that the most up-to-date records are available.
AWS DevOps and software developers on other platforms such as Microsoft Azure can create cloud-based platforms that allow patients to access their information and prescriptions online, without the need for travel or an appointment.
Reducing costs
Another huge benefit of cloud computing in the healthcare sector is the reduction in costs, as there is no longer a need to pay costly server rental and maintenance costs.
With everything based in the cloud, physical servers are no longer necessary, with development platforms offering pay-as-you-go systems that allow for easy and convenient scaling, meaning the hospital is only paying for exactly what it requires in terms of storage space.
