In recent years, with the pandemic and the need to adapt to new forms of care in clinics and hospitals, the demand for digitalization has grown exponentially. And one of the pillars for the success of this digital transformation is the implementation of the cloud in the healthcare sector.
Shall we better understand the whole transition to a digital mindset? In the following content, we'll talk about some important aspects and impacts of digitalization in healthcare. Read on!
What is Digital Transformation?
In simple terms, it is a cultural and structural change that companies face in order to keep up with technological advances, with the participation of partners, CEOs and all levels of employees.
The expression "Digital Transformation" is widely used in everyday business circles, representing the demands, challenges and impacts of the emergence of new technologies at a speed never seen before.
And in health, what does this transformation mean?
In addition to enabling important advances in the experience of patients and healthcare professionals, digitalization in this sector represents savings, agility, productivity, excellence in care, data protection and much more.
Data security and cloud storage in the health sector
With regard to information security, we need to highlight the need for compliance with the General Data Protection Act and the urgent need for protection against all types of cyber threats.
Optimizing processes and increasing data security are extremely closely related to storage and cloud computing.
What is Cloud Storage?
Virtual storage (or cloud storage), Cloud Storage) is basically the transfer of data - files, applications, information, etc. - to be stored on external server structures connected to the network.
The cloud storage service facilitates remote access, makes it possible to store large amounts of data and, by distributing it across several servers, increases its protection.
What is the importance of Information Security for the health sector?
Protecting data, in addition to being an obligation under the LGPD, ensures that important information is not leaked to third parties, or lost/damaged, or that its authenticity and integrity can be challenged.
With the cloud, data is protected from physical damage (which is not the case with paper records, for example), unauthorized access and unavailability at critical times, such as medical emergencies.
Benefits of the cloud for patient care and healthcare in general
Healthcare organizations that have advanced on the digital transformation journey and are already running their operations with Cloud Computing are seeing process optimization on several levels.
In surveys carried out in recent years, healthcare executives and managers have pointed out the main impacts of implementing the cloud:
- More security
- More agility
- Enabling new services
- Fewer problems with connectivity and stability
- Greater savings and return on investment
The cloud makes it possible to increase operational efficiency while streamlining and evolving the delivery of healthcare services.
Examples of the use of the cloud and how they improve the patient and healthcare team experience:
- Electronic records optimize the reception, assessment and prescription processes;
- The combination of socio-economic data, examinations and health history, epidemiological statistics and the multidisciplinary work of the professionals responsible for the patient has been proven to reduce recurrent hospitalizations;
- An integrated hospital system makes it possible to organize and speed up scheduling, billing and even clinical work;
- Digital and mobile devices and applications provide healthcare professionals with real-time access to data and materials to support Evidence Based Medicine;
- The detection of fraud and abuse by specialized tools protects patients, professionals and the hospital or clinic as a whole.
Main challenges in the digitalization of healthcare
Reliable information
Despite the size of the Brazilian healthcare market, there are still not a large number of IT service providers who focus deeply on this sector. As a result, managers of clinics and hospitals still find it difficult to find clear, objective information that will lead them correctly on the digital transformation journey.
Migration strategy
Even after having an IT infrastructure in place, the migration to cloud servers still needs a well-built implementation strategy, with a defined timeline, and plans for training all employees.
Ensuring effective secure information sharing requires assessing the criticality and lifecycle of the data, creating hierarchies and not disrupting the day-to-day running of the organization.
Usability
If the user experience isn't positive and the software isn't intuitive to use, even the most advanced solutions won't bring results. For this to happen, it is important to carry out an evaluation, diagnosis and strategy, taking into account what fits the company and what the particular challenges are.
This is the only way to define which services and solutions will actually be effective.
The support of experts is indispensable in the digital transformation!
When there is no diagnosis and implementation by a specialized team, which understands the particularities of the organization's day-to-day and delivers customized solutions, losses and failures are extremely common.
Count on Conversys' entire portfolio and certified IT consultants to transform your company.
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