It is hard to read anything about the healthcare industry today without the cloud being mentioned to some degree. Everyone is using the cloud. If you are a healthcare provider and you are not using the cloud then you are doomed to fail. It is no longer if you are in the cloud, but what infrastructure are you using in the cloud. Who is your cloud service provider? Are you using managed IT services? Are you using a healthcare portal? How hard is it to manage IoT with your current configuration?

HIMSS Analytics provides analytical trend data to healthcare IT firms. In this report we have taken data from their 2014 and 2016 findings to see what cloud trends are increasing in the healthcare industry. The data derived is from a small number of Directors, Senior Executives, Analysts, and Vice presidents and is by no means a comprehensive analysis of the entire healthcare industry.

Cloud Use

In 2014, less than 83% of reported healthcare organizations were using cloud technologies. By 2016, that number had only gone up to 84%. Not a big increase, but the difference is the number of people who plan on investing into the cloud. In 2014, it was a mere 9%, but by 2016 the remaining 16% of organizations planned on using the cloud in the near future.

It is no longer a matter of “if,” but “when” healthcare organizations will enter the cloud. The majority of organizations is hosting analytics applications, and have current workloads involving server virtualization and hosting back office applications.

In 2014 and 2016 the largest increase in new cloud technologies trend toward backup and storage solutions. Hosting a development environment is the least planned technology. This makes sense, since only enterprise-sized healthcare facilities will consider development as a possibility.

Cloud Services

In 2014, organizations used cloud services for IT and administration support equally, but by 2016 this thought process has changed. IT services are the most commonly used cloud service, but administrative services trail closely behind. Hosting analytical solutions continue to be the main focus of healthcare facilities, but managed services for IT has increased from 26% to 38%. Overall the business model is starting to change.

In 2014, the biggest reason healthcare facilities jumped into the cloud was to help with rising IT costs. Of course, take the route where you can save the most money. It makes sense.

In 2016, performance and reliability became the number one reason to jump on the cloud. This is not because healthcare organizations have become lazy, but they see the overall cost effectiveness of everything working smoothly. The more reliable your cloud service provider is, the less down time you will encounter, which saves money across all departments in the organization. Ease of use means less training time for your employees, quicker processing equals more processing, and simpler workloads can help to raise morale. Find out more about IT and the cloud:

The focus of the cloud is changing in healthcare. The industry is leaning toward a 100% integrated cloud environment, and as new technologies are developed the overall focus will change regardless the size of your healthcare organization. Request a quote, and see how the cloud can move your facility to the next level. We are happy to provide a free assessment.