Some healthcare companies see HIPAA and other compliance regulations as a bane to their business, mainly because of the lengthy and complicated requirements. Poring over authorities’ regulations and ensuring that all areas of operations remain compliant call for a high level of expertise, something that small- and medium-sized businesses may lack.
The rising popularity of healthcare software
When cost-effective, not to mention convenient, services and applications such as subscription-based Software-as-a-Solution (SaaS) services for healthcare are readily available, is it still practical to carry the weight of your own business’s technology? Apparently, not so much.
A study by a market research firm indicates the rising popularity of SaaS among healthcare companies. According to their forecast, ‘the global healthcare cloud computing market is anticipated to grow rapidly and will post a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of more than 21% during the forecast period.’
From assisting healthcare professionals in performing administrative tasks with basic computing tools, healthcare software developers have introduced products that are now used in major medical procedures. While software developers are still very much in the business of developing healthcare software for administrative tasks, many have shifted their focus to specific medical fields.
Why healthcare providers are shifting to the cloud
The reason for the shift is simple: a greater need for efficient healthcare systems. Per the study, one of the many fields in which cloud-based healthcare software has crucial presence is cardiology, a branch of medicine that certainly benefits from efficient data storage and retrieval systems, particularly in tasks such as accessing current and historical patient data.
Also contributing to the increased popularity are the facts that much less support is needed for maintenance, and much less investment is needed for medical software licensing and related expenses.
Is cloud computing good for the healthcare industry?
Without a doubt. Rules coming from HIPAA and the United States Office of Inspector General, and others have strict technology requirements for healthcare providers. Compliance regulations change so fast and, often, these amendments serve to benefit the welfare of the public and to some extent, the healthcare providers themselves.
Healthcare providers in the Americas are predicted to take a huge chunk of the growing healthcare cloud computing market, and given their influence on the progressive healthcare industry, the rest of the world will soon adapt.
As innovations in the field of medicine continue to emerge, so will the technology that complements them. Doctors, healthcare administrators, nursing, and medical technology staff need reliable healthcare IT, and this slow and steady ascent to cloud computing can only benefit the healthcare industry as a whole.
For compliance concerns in which technology plays a key role, healthcare -- and any regulated industry, really -- need dynamic and inexpensive technology. Need recommendations for the right SaaS solutions for your business? Contact us today.