Who Perpetuates Naive Attitudes Toward Healthcare Cloud Computing?

Imagine CEO Sam Khashman’s take on the “dangers” of cloud computing in heathcare are at best shortsighted and anachronistic. When we look at government initiatives, Cloud and mobile applications are the only manner in which healthcare information can be dispersed easily and compliantly, thus meeting government initiatives; whether billing, clinical or patient data. We see this in various applications such as CAC, PACS, RIS and billing. Here are some facts:

• The overall cloud computing market in health care will grow to $5.4 billion by 2017.
• 71 percent of health care providers were deploying or planned to deploy cloud technology.
• 55 percent of hospital executives interviewed had stored data in the cloud. This data included clinical applications and email.

As we mentioned in a previous blog post, the biggest RISK to providers is NOT investing in a modern cloud based technology platform that is architected to be interoperable and  share information with other systems in a real time digital conversation – clinical and administrative. As of January 1st 2012 when the ASC X12 v. 5010 transactions became mandatory, electronic transmission of claims (PHI) was mandated by CMS. It is naive to believe you can exist in the healthcare environment of the future with technology platforms that are not inter-operable and web native. With the HITECH act mandating the digitization of healthcare, those stuck with 30 year old technologies like client-server or ASP platforms will be left to flounder as information islands and find their technology gap resulting in an even bigger revenue gap.