Abstract
BackgroundThe use of cloud computing (involving storage and processing of data on the internet) in health care has increasingly been highlighted as having great potential in facilitating data-driven innovations. Although some provider organizations are reaping the benefits of using cloud providers to store and process their data, others are lagging behind.ObjectiveWe aim to explore the existing challenges and barriers to the use of cloud computing in health care settings and investigate how perceived risks can be addressed.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative case study of cloud computing in health care settings, interviewing a range of individuals with perspectives on supply, implementation, adoption, and integration of cloud technology. Data were collected through a series of in-depth semistructured interviews exploring current applications, implementation approaches, challenges encountered, and visions for the future. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed using NVivo 12 (QSR International). We coded the data based on a sociotechnical coding framework developed in related work.ResultsWe interviewed 23 individuals between September 2020 and November 2020, including professionals working across major cloud providers, health care provider organizations, innovators, small and medium-sized software vendors, and academic institutions. The participants were united by a common vision of a cloud-enabled ecosystem of applications and by drivers surrounding data-driven innovation. The identified barriers to progress included the cost of data migration and skill gaps to implement cloud technologies within provider organizations, the cultural shift required to move to externally hosted services, a lack of user pull as many benefits were not visible to those providing frontline care, and a lack of interoperability standards and central regulations.ConclusionsImplementations need to be viewed as a digitally enabled transformation of services, driven by skill development, organizational change management, and user engagement, to facilitate the implementation and exploitation of cloud-based infrastructures and to maximize returns on investment.
Highlights
BackgroundThere is an international drive toward digitally enabled, data-driven transformation of health care services, with health systems seeking to optimize work processes; improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of care; and reduce costs [1,2]
We focused on examining converging and diverging perspectives, the interplay of technological and social dimensions, and the tensions and trade-offs emerging in the progress of cloud technology implementation, adoption, and optimization in health care settings
Overview We interviewed 23 individuals (Table 1), including professionals working across major cloud providers, health care provider organizations, innovators, small and medium-sized software vendors, and academic institutions
Summary
BackgroundThere is an international drive toward digitally enabled, data-driven transformation of health care services, with health systems seeking to optimize work processes; improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of care; and reduce costs [1,2]. Health care typically relies on a web of complex information infrastructures that lack integration and interoperability, which contributes to fragmented service provision [3] Such infrastructures may range from systems allowing data analysis within individual organizations to advanced cloud-based systems facilitating cross-organizational data-driven analysis [4]. The identified barriers to progress included the cost of data migration and skill gaps to implement cloud technologies within provider organizations, the cultural shift required to move to externally hosted services, a lack of user pull as many benefits were not visible to those providing frontline care, and a lack of interoperability standards and central regulations. Conclusions: Implementations need to be viewed as a digitally enabled transformation of services, driven by skill development, organizational change management, and user engagement, to facilitate the implementation and exploitation of cloud-based infrastructures and to maximize returns on investment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
