Adoption of Cloud Computing: A Study with Public and Private Hospitals in a Developing Country

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the factors influencing the adoption of cloud computing (CC) in public and private hospitals in a developing country setting, specifically in Brazil’s hospital industry. We interviewed IT professionals from four hospitals. The study demonstrates that concerns with security and availability matter more to the hospitals than the expected benefits of CC, such as flexibility and cost reduction. In addition, the findings show that there are relevant differences between public and private organizations, such as regulatory issues and cost, which influence the adoption of cloud computing in each context. Cloud-based resources continue to worry companies that deal with sensitive data as healthcare institutions. Knowledge acquired from this study is particularly beneficial to IT executives to guide their decision to create or adjust CC initiatives in healthcare.