Healthcare systems in North America are being transformed from paper-based operations into more complex IT infrastructures that increasingly include cloud-based components. Legacy technologies are rapidly being supplanted, and providers are trimming expenses while also improving the level of service that they offer to patients and their families.
As healthcare IT matures and incorporates cloud-managed apps, system restore will be a key component to keeping operations running smoothly. IT administrators will be better equipped to protect data and manage a full range of endpoints, with capabilities such as converting PCs into thin clients and maintaining workstation configurations around the clock.
Healthcare IT market set to expand significantly over the next three years
In 2012, total spending on healthcare IT in North America was $22 billion. However, provider demand is ramping up for administrative and clinical services, and it will fuel strong growth for most of the decade. The healthcare IT market could expand at a 7.4 percent compound annual growth rate and may exceed $31 billion by 2017.
Moreover, providers are seeking to drive down operational costs by implementing efficient IT systems with high return on investment. Additional factors influencing the transition to new technologies include financial support from the U.S. government and the need to serve aging populations with chronic conditions.
Cloud will enable greater operational efficiency and revolutionize healthcare endpoint fleets
Cloud computing will be a major part of the healthcare IT transformation and may expand at a 21 percent compound annual growth rate until 2017, easily outpacing spending as a whole. The cloud enables easier data sharing and access from any computer or location.
With hospital and facility staff utilizing a larger variety of devices, IT administrators will need a way to securely manage these endpoints. System restore software can work with existing hardware and provides an easy way to maintain configurations, remove malware and recover workstations.
Accordingly, these solutions help healthcare organizations address the compliance and regulatory challenges that they face in migrating records from paper to databases. Providers in the U.S. must comply with the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, while also staying on top of regulations governing long-term data retention, access management and confidentiality.
System restore and safely integrating cloud services into healthcare IT
So far, the healthcare sector has been slower than its peers in adopting the cloud. A survey revealed that healthcare organizations trailed their counterparts in higher education and business in this regard and ranked ahead of only state and local governments.
However, the issues may be gradually subsiding. Healthcare providers have been concerned about integrating cloud applications into IT infrastructure and ensuring that the cloud protects data, but in spite of this, spending on the cloud could rise from 19 percent of IT budgets in 2013 to almost 30 percent by 2017.
The cloud's chief value proposition is that it facilitates more flexibility in how IT services and devices are managed, all at a potentially lower cost than upgrading or procuring a new legacy system. Since reboot on restore software provides endpoint protection from a centralized console, it is ideal for maximizing the value of cloud services in healthcare. It can be installed on thin clients, nurse station computers and medical device PCs and creates a comprehensive layer of security and management across the hospital IT environment.
Organizations that are just getting started with their cloud transitions should also be sure to vet any cloud service provider before signing a contract. They must ensure that the provider is knowledgeable of applicable data regulations. Once they find a good provider, organizations can save a lot of money – one CIO estimated that his hospital saved $14 million by moving to cloud-based email.
