Cloud-Based Healthcare App Development- The Benefits and Challenges

Cloud computing is very useful in the world of healthcare. Since technology has modernized, and the focus on digitalization has increased, healthcare processes have significantly changed for the better.

Cloud computing provides online access to a number of computing resources that works on minimum operating costs. Cloud computing helps efficiently manage infrastructure as well as scale as per the needs of the business. Not all clouds are similar, they are chosen according to the needs of the business or according to the requirements of the healthcare apps, and whichever option is the most viable is chosen for the enterprise.

How is Cloud Computing used to Develop Healthcare Apps?

Cloud computing has brought significant advances in the world of healthcare ranging from the creation to the consumption as well as storage of medical data. The healthcare industry has come up with better data management approaches through the help of cloud computing. The implementation of remote servers via the Internet for storing, managing as well as processing healthcare data is known as cloud computing (relevant to the healthcare industry). It provides a very flexible solution for all the stakeholders in the healthcare sector for them to access servers when and wherever needed.

Shifting to cloud-based healthcare apps has proved to be favorable for both providers and patients. The operational expenditure has been lowered by virtualization and has helped healthcare providers develop apps that deliver personalized high-quality performance to all its users. With constant healthcare app development patients get instant deliveries and services.

Benefits of  Cloud-based Healthcare App Development:-

Reduced Healthcare Cost

There is a real-time availability of many computer resources like data storage as well as computing power. There is no need to buy data storage hardware or software and other costs are also reduced. Healthcare apps based on cloud platforms have made it possible to scale the storage while also reducing overall costs.

Easy Interoperability

Data integrations are established throughout the healthcare system with the help of interoperability, especially when it is powered by cloud solutions in the healthcare industry, it makes patients’ data easily available and accessible and insights are also provided for better healthcare delivery. Cloud computing enables providers in the healthcare industry to access patient data from many sources and also to share it with the concerned people and deliver timely protocols.

Patients Ownership of Data

Cloud computing and healthcare when combined together, give patients control over their healthcare records. There is active participation of patients when it comes to making health-related decisions, enabling better patient engagement and providing better care. Data when stored in the cloud, has the ability to be retrieved or archived easily.

Improved Collaborations

Collaboration has been majorly increased due to the implementation of the cloud for healthcare apps. Since the Medical records are saved and stored on the computer, there is no need for patients to carry them every time they take a visit to the doctor. It is also easier for the doctors to view the patient’s information, view their previous interactions and share information with each other based on it. This even enables doctors to provide an even more accurate treatment.

Enhanced Patient Experience

There is increased patient engagement as they have access to all their medical data, test results, and even previous prescriptions. Patients have complete control over their health records and they become even more educated.

Easier Appointments

Healthcare apps also serve as doctor appointment apps. They provide a list of doctors with expertise in the medical field, for patients to choose and book their slots accordingly. Doctor booking apps have made it much easier for patients to secure an appointment with their doctors.

Challenges of Developing Healthcare apps on cloud platforms:-

Limited Specialists

In the software domain (related to healthcare), it can be difficult to find experienced developers who have specialized in the industry and can easily interact with new technologies. It is also difficult to find cloud specialists in the healthcare domain.

The Ecosystem is Limited

Solely the adoption of cloud computing, does not make the healthcare industry efficient. There are a lot of other things beyond that like healthcare organizations will have to connect it with artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and various other data management technologies.

Difficulty in Adoption

Switching to cloud systems can be challenging for many people. It is important that organizations educate all their employees and help them adapt to the changes easily.

Security Risks

Medical data is at risk of attack since when it is stored in the cloud, it is at the center of technology’s adoption. Isolation mechanisms put in place to stop one organisation from sharing medical records with other organisations may fail making it difficult for patients to trust healthcare providers with their personal information.

Switching to cloud-based healthcare apps-

Healthcare apps offer remarkable services and they have recently gained quite a lot of momentum in the healthcare industry. They help in enhancing communication, efficiency, and the quality of healthcare amenities. Healthcare apps have enhanced the productivity of healthcare professionals across all sectors and have delivered better patient health outcomes.

There are many types of apps that can be created like diagnostic and clinical reference apps, telemedicine apps, health management apps, and wellness or fitness apps. In our patient-centric environment, quality care committed to the well-being of the patients has become extremely important. Medical healthcare apps facilitate engagement through efficient as well effective patient-focused care, personalized experiences for every patient & knowledge sharing between patients and providers. Patients can easily access as well as monitor their own medical records or even prescription details from the convenience of their homes without even visiting hospitals. Managing every patient’s records manually is prone to diagnostic errors or inaccuracies and is very time-consuming. But the health apps nullify all potential challenges that can prove to cause problems for patients.

An accurate report of the patient’s health condition can be stored digitally in the app. This helps in assisting doctors to prescribe their patients the right medicine and the correct amount of dosage and chemical compositions. In situations where a patient keeps changing from one healthcare provider to another, this data can be extracted very easily to make quick medical decisions. Unlike traditional telephone access to doctors and healthcare organizations which has proven to be inefficient, mobile health apps make it easy and secure for patients to send messages, schedule appointments & connect with healthcare providers 24/7 for telemedicine visits.

• Patients can ask questions via video calls, chats, or call to avoid offline visits for minor issues. This makes the process much easier and super-efficient.
• Traditionally dealing with bills had proven to be a hefty process for both patients and staff. With mobile healthcare apps, people don’t have to wait in queues for long hours to make payments.
• Highly and effectively secured payment gateway integration in the cloud-based app facilitates users to make payments instantly and securely with a few clicks.
• Preferred payment methods can be selected according to the needs of the patients.

Various health apps include automated reminders that alert patients about their medicines, upcoming appointments with specialists, renew prescriptions, and more. This gives patients a lot more control over their therapy without worrying about missing a therapy session. Eliminates a major chunk of tedious & repetitive administrative work and provides a better experience to patients with automated reminders.

Importance of scalability and data storage in healthcare apps-

Data management is very crucial especially when it comes to medical data. It is essential that the data is collected, stored, retrieved, and transferred in a secure manner. Medical information is assessed by the healthcare providers and it is used to determine valuable insights. Medical data should be managed in such a way that patient’s health records can be assessed and shared whenever needed as it guarantees prompt services on the side of the healthcare providers and accurate medical treatments for the patients. Efficient data management significantly reduces costs and other healthcare expenses. A centralized healthcare data system hosted in a cloud reduces costs in several areas whether it is data administration or hardware maintenance.

Innovative technologies like AI are adapted and the health records of patients are better analyzed. Healthcare providers are able to build a thorough and comprehensive review of the patient’s health conditions and they can take preventive steps as and when needed. Personal health recommendations are made and other proactive measures are taken for the well-being of the patients. Efficient health data management also comes to the aid of the patients as it is readily accessible and they don’t have to go through the hassles of filling out forms again and again. There is increased transparency and patient engagement is also boosted and accurate health records are delivered. When building healthcare apps, organizations should solely focus on proper data collection, efficient management, and secured storage.

The healthcare industry is a really big one and there are heaps of data like medical records, test results, prescriptions, and many other reports. Since there are so many patients, it can often be really difficult to store all the data in the form of papers or files, it is just not possible. There are many tips for healthcare providers through the help of which they can manage their patient records more effectively, some of them are:-

• Data governance

A data governance strategy should be developed and implemented so that the gathered information is stored properly. The file system should be categorized and classified in such a way that sensitive personal health information can be highlighted as and when requested. Each user should allow access permissions and stale data should be cleared regularly. A data governance team should be put together to update the healthcare providers regarding any changes in federal health IT requirements. A well-formulated strategy allows providers to access any data as and when needed and to respond to regulatory changes easily.

• Monitoring data quality

It is absolutely vital that there are no errors or inaccuracies when it comes to collecting and storing health care records as it can result in unwanted insurance claims, unnecessary tests, and even incorrect treatment. Data can be effectively monitored by cleansing and standardizing procedures, identifying and removing any duplicates found, validating manual input, correcting typos, and correcting potential mistakes. The data collected should be matched with various sources. This can be effectively achieved using AI technologies.

• Leverage automation

Digitalization is essential not only for cutting down expenses but also to enable effective healthcare data management. Healthcare organizations benefit by implementing a number of solutions from medical billing or coding software to effective patient engagement systems.

• Cloud data storage

Moving to the cloud offers a number of benefits like easier compliance with government regulations and data safety, quick backup and recovery, automated back-end encryption, and easy expansion options.