How cloud technologies and data analytics are transforming the healthcare sector

Driven by the increasing adoption of big data analytics, wearable devices, and IoT, the global healthcare cloud computing market is projected to reach $51.9 billion by 2024. With the growing appreciation of cloud, the technology and its applications will play an important role in the future of the healthcare sector.

Currently, cloud technologies are helping the healthcare industry by increasing the efficiency of services and decreasing healthcare costs. Moreover, cloud makes management of health records easier and safer. It also automates back end operations and even facilitates the creation and maintenance of mobile health apps. As these medical innovations and technologies continue to evolve and gain traction, the impact of cloud computing in the healthcare industry is expected to grow stronger over the next five years.

Cloud computing is not a new concept in the healthcare sector. In the past, IoT devices, wearables and health-monitoring equipment have been gathering data which help health care institutions gain insights on diagnosis, disease management, treatment and prevention.

With collaboration, faster data analysis and emerging cloud technologies, data analytics could transform the health care sector and better prepare for future emergencies.

With the pandemic, when access to real-time data is crucial in creating strategies to curb the spread of the disease, related agencies were able to share, store and access data through the cloud. Stakeholders and health care practitioners were able to make quick decisions based on data collected from various sources. Furthermore, health organisations were able to collaborate and share data securely and safely, which is critical for researchers racing to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19. The utilisation of remote medicine technology or telehealth has also seen an increase during the pandemic. Communities with limited access to health services were able to interact with cloud-connected health care professionals and receive appropriate medical advice.

What is the impact of cloud and data analytics on India’s healthcare sector? How can the country’s health sector benefit from cloud computing?

The healthcare industry generates vast amounts of data. To leverage the power of data, India’s healthcare sector is gearing up for digitalisation.  With the help of cloud technologies and data analytics, the potentials to improve overall patient care and collaboration and research are immense.

Healthcare analytics is a segment of digital healthcare that leverages data from hospitals and other facilities as well as patient records and diagnoses. The healthcare analytics market in India is expected to reach a value of Rs 47.04 billion by 2025, according to market research, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.49 per cent between 2020 and 2025. It is in its nascent stages of adoption in India, but healthcare analytics can help medical professionals meet the service requirements of the country more efficiently.

Migrating to cloud platforms offers the flexibility and storage capacity needed to house such large volumes of data and enable healthcare organisations to derive insights that positively impact patient care and hospital operations. With access to real-time information, healthcare professionals and executives are empowered to make informed decisions that improve overall care. By analysing data sets, healthcare professionals and researchers will be able to recommend steps to create disease-control strategies.