Cloud innovation: How top healthcare providers are enhancing care

Healthcare leaders are facing growing pressure to improve clinician and patient experiences while managing shrinking budgets. Healthcare ecosystems are uniquely tailored to benefit from cloud-based marketplaces such as Amazon Marketplace, provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Providers are rapidly evolving their cloud implementations to improve workstreams, collaboration, security standards, and data access.

I recently moderated a webinar on cloud innovation in healthcare. It explored how to use technology to reduce costs, boost efficiency, drive organization transparency, and enhance patient care. The webinar showcased real-world examples of cloud solutions improving healthcare.

Two guest speakers shared their experiences and insights: Nhan Ho, the associate director of Information Technology–CRM at Geisinger and Sean Kennedy, the vice president and general manager of Global Health Strategy and Solutions at Salesforce.

This post summarizes the key takeaways from that webinar.

The healthcare landscape

The healthcare industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by cloud adoption and technological advancements. This evolution presents both challenges and opportunities.

Trends

• Cloud expansion – Nearly 70 percent of healthcare organizations prioritize cloud-based technology expansion or upgrades.
• Regulatory complexity – Complying with regulations costs the industry about $69 billion annually.
• EHR adoption – Almost 90 percent of office-based physicians and virtually all hospitals now use electronic health records (EHRs).
• Value-based care – EHRs help close care gaps, improve quality scores, and increase reimbursements.

Challenges

Cybersecurity threats and financial pressure are serious challenges, with over half of US hospitals facing financial losses post-pandemic.

Industry adaptations

• Increased use of managed services.
• Digital transformation towards a digital-first healthcare model.
• AI and machine learning (ML) integration.
• Shift towards an integrated care model.

Healthcare’s transformation: Challenges and technological solutions

Key factors driving changes include rising costs, an aging population, value-based care models, and a focus on mental health and health equity.

The following trends have significant implications for payers as they navigate the industry’s constant changes.

Modern technologies addressing these challenges

To address these challenges, healthcare organizations are taking advantage of modern technologies.

1. AI and automation for operational efficiency.:

• The generative AI market in healthcare is expected to reach $22 billion by 2027.
• There is a potential for $80 billion in savings across the patient journey.

2. Data integration to improve care.:

• Over half of the top 50 US health systems are increasing investments by five to 20 percent.

3. Enhanced digital patient experience.:

• 80 percent of digitally engaged patients are more likely to stay with providers.

Case studies

Three case studies demonstrate how healthcare providers are using cloud innovation.

1. Regional Pacific coast nonprofit healthcare system:

• Transitioned from an on-premises data center to AWS, working with Effectual.
• Results – The system saw a 65 percent boost in compute capacity, an 80 percent increase in storage, and was able to complete the migration 7 months ahead of schedule.

2. Regional Northeast hospital:

• Optimized resources while improving security standards by using AWS Marketplace and implementing Cisco Duo MFA, Cisco Intersight, and Cisco Identity Service Engines (ISE) for enhanced network access control.
• Results – The hospital streamlined the procurement process and improved collaboration between procurement and security teams.

3. Geisinger:

• Implanted a comprehensive customer relationship strategy (CRM) using Salesforce’s Health Cloud.
• Results – New patient appointments increased by 246 percent, digital outreach efforts grew by 12 percent year-over-year, telemedicine usage surged by 281 percent, and Medicare Advantage form completions rose by 83 percent.

Q&A highlights

Here are some of the key insights from our guest speakers.

On preparing for an AI-driven future

“Focus on data governance and cleaning existing data. Start with traditional, rules-based AI before diving into generative AI.” — Sean Kennedy (Salesforce)

“Consider data in a business context, not just as table structures. Understanding data meaning is crucial for effective AI implementation.” — Nhan Ho (Geisinger)

On implementing healthcare cloud solutions

“Have a clear vision, develop best practices, and carefully plan your project roadmap.” — Nhan Ho (Geisinger)

“Start with a specific use case, build momentum with early successes, and maintain an enterprise reusability mindset.” — Sean Kennedy (Salesforce)

On Salesforce’s Health Cloud for Geisinger

“Health Cloud enabled a unified customer profile, improved campaign attribution, and increased patient scheduling and Medicare Advantage enrollment.” — Nhan Ho (Geisinger)

These insights from our speakers provide valuable guidance for healthcare organizations looking to develop with cloud and AI technologies, emphasizing the importance of data governance, strategic planning, and choosing the right tools and partners.

Conclusion

Cloud innovation is transforming healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. By using cloud-based solutions, healthcare providers can improve operational efficiency, enhance patient engagement, and drive better health outcomes while managing costs.

The journey to cloud adoption may seem daunting, but with the right partners and a strategic approach, the benefits are substantial. For healthcare leaders willing to take the first steps, cloud technologies offer exciting possibilities for enhancing care delivery in their organizations.

About AWS Marketplace and next steps

AWS Marketplace is a curated digital catalog with numerous healthcare solutions across multiple categories and regions. This makes it effortless for health systems to find, buy, deploy, and manage third-party software, services, and data. It offers quick, straightforward, and secure deployment; flexible consumption and contract models; and streamlined procurement and billing operations. Over 330,000 organizations, large and small, use AWS Marketplace monthly to accelerate digital transformation and improve efficiencies across their enterprises. Research from Forrester estimates it takes half the time to find, buy, and deploy solutions through AWS Marketplace compared to other channels.

Visit Healthcare solutions and software available in AWS Marketplace to discover healthcare solutions such as the ones from Salesforce, Effectual, and Cisco. These tools help maintain security and compliance during organizational transformation.

Watch the webinar, Cloud innovation: How top healthcare providers enhance care, to learn more about these topics or discover more Q&A insights.

About the author

Paridhi Shrivastava is a Senior business development manager for nonprofit healthcare at AWS. She focuses on AWS Marketplace, applying her 14 years of healthcare technology experience. Paridhi helps healthcare organizations improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency using AWS Cloud solutions. Her background spans the provider, payer, and IT partner landscape. She excels at solving complex problems and driving positive societal change. Paridhi achieves this through strategic partnerships and collaborations in the healthcare sector.