Why the future of healthcare is (mostly) in the cloud – Blog

Going to the cloud is not all or nothing

Of course, none of this is to say that moving to the cloud is like pushing a button. This is a complex, multi-year journey for most of our clients. And it’s quite a journey for Philips too. Any organization that has accumulated a large number of legacy systems and infrastructure over the years will need to manage a hybrid architecture when moving to the cloud. [5].

There are also strong arguments for keeping certain types of data processing close to where the data is collected.

For example, in minimally invasive cases image guided therapy, where interventional physicians guide tiny catheters through the human body, precise hand-eye coordination requires real-time visual guidance. It makes much more sense to run such real-time, safety-critical applications in the intervention room itself, with the data being processed locally. However, these apps could still be updated through the cloud on a regular basis, to ensure access to the latest version. The cloud can also serve as a powerful tool to develop new algorithms that help plan, guide or document procedures, which can then be implemented locally to support interventional physicians in their daily workflows.

In essence, the cloud is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Combined with a secure and interoperable network of connections to on-premises hospital systems, cloud-based solutions represent a great opportunity for healthcare leaders to unlock the value of data generated throughout the patient journey, from home hospital. By turning data into insights at scale, we can empower healthcare professionals to practice at the peak of their license, helping them achieve better outcomes at lower cost with a better experience for patients and staff. Ultimately, this will transform healthcare systems – just as we’ve seen the cloud change other industries.

References
[1] Accenture Digital Health Technology Vision 2021. https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-156/Accenture-Digital-Health-Tech-Vision-2021.pdf
[2] Cresswell, K, Williams, R, and Sheikh, A. Use of cloud technology in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet, 2021, 3:1. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30291-0
[3] https://www.devprojournal.com/industry/healthcare/healthcare-facilities-remain-a-top-target-for-data-breaches/
[4] https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-145/Accenture-Health-Content-Cloud-Imperative-in-Healthcare.pdf
[5] Ahead in the Cloud: best practices for navigating the future of enterprise computing. 2018. Orban, S.