Electronic Health Reporter

If you’re in the healthcare industry, you know how important it is to have efficient and reliable technology to support your business operations. Leading among these reasons is the need for you to have a secure environment protected from the prevalent cybersecurity threats and to maintain your healthcare data privacy. For instance, certain apps can help you connect with your clients better. However, you have to choose whether you want to host it on-premises or in the cloud.  

Even though the cloud offers a wide range of advantages, many healthcare facilities are still hesitant to adopt this technology. However, if you’ve been thinking of transferring your app to the cloud, you should go for a service provider who specializes in healthcare cloud-based services. Moreover, professional services such as True North’s IT services for healthcare account for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Act of 1996, which standardizes the protection of sensitive patient health information.

To help you understand more about this promising option, here are a few advantages of hosting healthcare apps in the cloud: 

• Improved Performance 

It’s generally believed that cloud app hosting gives you better performance compared to on-premises hosting. Good connectivity and excellent speed are critical aspects that you need when using your app, especially during peak time. Additionally, cloud servers are found in several areas worldwide, thus improving performance when it comes to uptime. With several mirrors globally, it creates redundancy, which significantly lowers the possibility of being offline.  

Because the access speed of cloud apps is much faster than with traditional hosting, your clients can save time. This is very important in the healthcare industry where customers often have urgent needs and emergencies.  

• Scalability 

Whether you need hosting for a small, simple app to be used within your locality or you have an app meant for extensive data to be used by millions of users, you’re well covered with cloud app hosting. This technology facilitates easy scaling. So, you can increase the amount of data storage space with a few simple steps. Moreover, you can also scale down your need for space quickly if such a need ever arises. Simply put, cloud hosting can be tailored to suit your business needs and accommodate the changes occurring in your business—whether you’re experiencing an exponential growth or unfavorable decline.  

• Cost-Effectiveness 

Cost-effectiveness might be your primary reason for considering cloud app hosting. For instance, perhaps the equipment you need for in-house hosting is costly and needs to be climate-controlled. In addition, some of the hardware you need might require replacement after a few years. On top of these expenses, you also need experts to manage the in-house server, pushing the maintenance costs higher.  

Fortunately, cloud hosting enables you to pass all those costs to the vendor. If you choose to go with internationally recognized managed service providers, you’ll enjoy cutting-edge technology at a reasonable cost. You also don’t need to spend more on your own equipment, since the service providers will provide the tools they need.

• Multi-Tenancy Capabilities 

With the internet of things (IoT) technology, your customers will be using different devices such as smartphones, tablets, or other intelligent devices. Thus, your server should help you connect with your clients across all these devices. Specifically, mobile apps need a high level of multi-tenacity capabilities. If your server isn’t optimized for mobile use, you may need additional resources to keep up with this demand. Lack of multi-tenancy capabilities may lead to poor performance of your app.  

On the other hand, cloud servers are already designed with this need in mind. Thus, multi-tenancy capabilities are readily available to help you maintain the speed and performance of your app.  

• Security 

The need for data privacy for patient information is an excellent reason to leverage cloud app hosting due to its top-notch cybersecurity measures. Keep in mind that there’s now pressure to comply with government regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for Europe-based businesses or HIPAA for US-based companies. This means you can’t overlook the need for cybersecurity. Patients’ health information should be secured from exposure to any third party. Privacy breaches of data can ruin the reputation of your healthcare business. It might even lead to a lawsuit if a client feels their privacy has been violated when their information is leaked.  

However, cloud app hosting companies have top-notch cybersecurity protocols that are difficult for hackers to breach. Additionally, the responsibility for ensuring cybersecurity is taken off your shoulder, allowing you to focus on other business concerns.  

Final Thoughts 

Healthcare business applications are the most suitable way for you to connect with your esteemed patients. However, you need to carefully choose whether to host your app on your premises or use a cloud app hosting agency. Hosting healthcare apps in the cloud will help you gain access to cutting-edge cybersecurity, stay flexible, boost app performance, and save on expenses.