How Cloud Interoperability Became a Critical Approach in Fighting COVID-19

Cloud interoperability refers to the ability of different cloud providers’ platforms to communicate and share information. It’s been a growing priority for a while but has come into the spotlight while health care systems have been fighting COVID-19. Here’s a look at how making clouds compatible across services could help patients and providers alike. 

Google Offers a Health Care API for Better Interoperability

It’s easy to understand how a lack of interoperability could pose problems for anyone who moves around and needs to access medical care away from home. Imagine a scenario where a person travels to see a loved one who lives on the other side of the country and requires a hospital stay while away, but the out-of-town facility can’t see that individual’s medical records. 

Google launched a health care-specific cloud API in 2018 that can overcome that obstacle and others. It offers electronic health record integration and even has a machine learning aspect that can suggest possible diagnoses for patients based on the data provided. This option helps medical facilities break out of data silos that could otherwise hinder them.

Interoperability alone will not solve the COVID-19 crisis. However, it could make it easier for health care providers to do their jobs without running into technological roadblocks. 

Interoperability Platforms Can Streamline Care Approaches

Some health care brands also realize that effectively fighting COVID-19 means giving medical providers the tools they need to choose and facilitate the best approaches to caring for their patients. Options exist that provide a single dashboard for all incoming and outgoing patient documents, including cloud faxes. 

Having such solutions available removes the barriers that could otherwise slow down care. Having relevant information at their fingertips also enables providers to stay well-equipped when providing telemedicine – an option that’s exceptionally important for people who need to isolate themselves as much as possible during the pandemic. 

Businesses of all kinds will likely look at security differently in the post-COVID-19 world. Keeping things secure is especially important with health data.

Companies must quickly assess and fortify their security landscapes, especially with more employees working from home. Cloud interoperability is a worthy milestone in general, but it must happen in ways that keep people’s medical information safe.

We Cannot Wait for Improved Cloud Interoperability

Another reason why cloud interoperability is so important now is that the lack of complete data can carry over into the test results and case numbers provided to the relevant localities. Public health researchers created a three-part plan to support interoperability and data exchange. They pointed out that having accurate information and the ability to share it could help health experts rapidly identify hot spots and new patterns of spread. 

Medical professionals recognize the need for scalable and highly secure storage cloud solutions. Many people became especially dependent on the cloud for other reasons during the pandemic, such as to connect with colleagues remotely or stay entertained. 

In the health care field, cloud functionality could become a matter of life and death in some circumstances. It could also directly support medical progress. A newly available data collection cloud service caters to clinical trials by gathering information from multiple sources and importing it into a single platform. It’s in use now during ongoing work to find a COVID-19 vaccine, and the tool could facilitate spotting and tracking efficacy and safety trends. 

Improved Cloud Services for Fighting COVID-19 Now and Later

Health authorities remain unsure of how long COVID-19 will stay a public health threat. They do know that information access is crucial for helping medical experts administer care and understand more about the virus. Storing data in the cloud is only one step to helping people get the data they need.

Tapping into cloud data regardless of which provider or entity stores it is also essential. Technological advancements and concentrated, collaborative efforts are helping that happen.

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About the Author

Kayla Matthews is a tech-loving blogger who writes and edits ProductivityBytes.com. Follow her on Twitter @productibytes to read all of her latest posts!