The global market for cloud technologies in the healthcare industry is expected to grow by USD 25.54 billion during 2020-2024 recent research has shown. Cloud computing is running essential applications for healthcare organisations, keeping acute hospitals operating 24/7. Cloud computing can analyse patterns from years of unstructured data to help clinicians improve the clinical decision-making process, and it can be used by individuals to access their recent blood test laboratory results from their home.

Is the cloud the future?

Is cloud computing the technology of the future for healthcare organisations or is it an essential technology for now? Every day healthcare organisations are discarding their siloed data systems in exchange for cloud computing. This demand is being driven by the benefits the cloud offers, on-demand availability of computer resources like data storage and computing power.

The reduction in the total cost of ownership

The main benefit of the cloud, or Software as a Service (SaaS), to a healthcare organisation is the reduction of the total cost of ownership. The cloud removes the need to make large up-front investments in data centres and servers. Cloud solutions also remove the need to maintain aging infrastructure and the requirement of regular updates, which can be expensive, all while providing out of the box privacy and security of an individual’s healthcare data.

Healthcare organisations are continually grappling with tight budgets, this forces them to invest in day-to-day activities which reduces their ability to innovate. Cloud computing services are typically offered under a subscription model; therefore, healthcare organisations can save money by not purchasing expensive on-premises systems and equipment.

Plus, you can reduce costs by accessing the cloud provider’s resources. Orion Health can leverage the breadth of services that Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers for new product development, enabling us to innovate quickly and ensure customers have fast access to the latest technology.

Improved visibility of costs

A SaaS solution is generally not considered a capital expenditure (CAPEX), which means the cost of a SaaS project will be considered an Operating Expense (OPEX). This provides organisations with a predictive cost model, meaning they will know what their monthly costs will be based on their contract and usage. This removes any unexpected spikes in costs due to hardware failures or the need for software upgrades, providing improved visibility of monthly running costs and bringing long-term cost benefits.

With Orion Health Cloud, organisations can rely on a dedicated external resource to manage their systems round the clock, including the ability to outsource the costs of training, updates, upgrades, monitoring and alerts. As an AWS Partner, we also have access to their large support network with an expedited turnaround on any issues raised. This provides customers with the opportunity to deploy their IT teams into more strategic business projects.

How can Orion Health Cloud make your digital health investment more sustainable?

Orion Health Cloud provides customers with secure access to a cloud-based healthcare solution stack delivered as a tailored SaaS model. Our professionals build trusted, open and collaborative relationships with our clients to help alleviate the pressure of managing and maintaining complex health IT ecosystems and ensure you are maximising the value of your digital health solution investments.

As an AWS Partner, Orion Health leverages the computing power and scalability of AWS, taking advantage of machine learning technologies, increasing uptime and driving better outcomes which enables healthcare organisations to care for millions of patients. The scalable and resilient infrastructure, breadth of services and focus on security make AWS Orion Health’s cloud-based platform of choice.

Interested in learning more about Orion Health Cloud?

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This blog is the third in the series on cloud computing. The next blog discusses the journey into the public cloud.

Read our previous blog on Is my healthcare organisation’s data secure and private in the cloud?