Cloud Computing And Information Systems For Healthcare: An Analysis Of My Health Record Project

Critical Features of IS Vendors for Healthcare

Discuss about the Commonwealth Government ‘My Health Record’ project.

No other technology can claim to have a wider impact on the world like information technology. In itself, this concept has increased productivity and manageability of resources in all aspects of life. Through it (IT), businesses, industries, and homes have had extensive conveniences in their operations. Today, cloud solutions extend these benefits by virtualizing computing services such as networking and data storage. Furthermore, unlike other specialized systems, cloud-based solution involve any technological component as their basic idea is to facilitate the widespread adaptation of virtualized systems (Robu, 2012). As such, it is understandable why the project at hand aims to incorporate this technology into its system. In doing so, the Commonwealth Government enhances the access of the project to the end user while reducing the implementation cost. In line with these objectives, this report analyses My Health Record Project, where a research with regards to cloud computing is given.

While information system may offer the benefits of IT to business, their respective choices often determine their practicality. Thus whereas, the host organization or industry may have elaborate objectives, their chosen system and vendors determine its overall application (HI, 2018). As such, this section highlights the critical features of some IS vendor found around the world.

Optum: A worldwide system vendor that prides itself on an innovative and dedicated organization. Its services combine the efficiency of technology and data to deliver efficient services for healthcare applications.

Features:

• Smart system and intelligence – the applications developed are designed with data mining capabilities that optimize solutions based on information collected, which is a variable asset for medical analytics.
• Risk management – the vendor deploys solutions with an infrastructure that combines risk with quality which can meet the user requirements despite the environment it is used.
• Natural language processing (NLP) – As an AI affiliate, NLP is incorporated to Optum systems to convert healthcare data into quality resource improvements thus guarantying the subscriber substantial financial savings during its application.
• User-centered design – to improve usability, applications are developed based on cognitive research which in this project would enhance its overall application in the field.
• System interoperability – using risk stratification and interventions, data is integrated with applications to produce a seamless function.
• System support – all the system purchased are supported by specialized expertise who guarantee functionality for an extended period of time (Optum, 2018).

Phillips: Although it serves other industries, this company specializes in health technology where treatment and care are supported by advanced information systems. It thus has various considerable features that can support the My Health Record Project.

Features:

• Leveraged enhanced interfaces – Phillips IS are designed to collaborate with any documentation and features which enhances their interoperability with any organization.
• Raw data management – unlike any other system, the products produced have the capability of importing, exporting and editing data in raw formats for future use.
• Data warehouse – furthermore, the functions of the IS are supported by both physical and online warehouses that store and extract data be it laboratory results or physician notes.
• Quality, security, and compliance – there is also a guarantee of policy compliance as all systems are developed based on the existing functional standards.
• Configurable security – systems roles and responsibilities can be delegated to manage security based on the levels of authorization an authentication.
• Custom reporting – although a number of report templates are given by most of the systems, the users can develop their own formats of printing results (Phillips, 2018).

Dell EMC: Providing life science solutions, this vendor advances IT solutions in the healthcare industry by combining care with digital records.

Features:

• Integrated remote access – to automate management tasks, advanced and remote administration servers are used to support the developed systems which enhances the users’ applications.
• Basic level functionality – from access to printing reports, the application acquired meets the regular functions of an information system.
• Backward compatibility – in case the project later advances the version of the system used, the new application can operate with any old system to meet its basic functions.
• Group security support – basic security features of firewalls and access protocols (e.g. HTTPS) are incorporated which ensures the integrity of the data used.
• Customizable setting – to meet the needs of the diverse groups of users, the systems developed have varying characteristics but common functions. These attributes are governed by the users to boost usability.
• User support – all system is supported by competent experts as provided by the vendor (Dell EMC, 2018).

According to vendors all technologies today have a cloud substitute with which a subscriber can increase their access and availability. While this outlook may seem like a marketing strategy, it may actually exist in most instances. Consider electronic mail (E-mail) which without a doubt is the most popular type of cloud hosting facility. Through it, users can access communication functionalities while storing information. Moreover, with the advances in database systems, they can also have storage affiliated with their accounts. Therefore, in the end, a myriad of resources are hosted online starting from networking services to end users’ applications (GFI, 2014). Similarly, My Health Record project aims to integrate the efficiencies of cloud computing into information systems. Through its services, the developed systems will have a higher application in terms of availability and accessibility, benefits that will also be provided by a minimal expenditure cost.

Cloud Computing

Effortlessly, cloud computing enhances the access to IT resources, which in this case is the single most important strength. Nevertheless, other benefits do exist as highlighted below:

• Cost saving – Minimal installations are done when using cloud services as all the major resources are leased from a third party member (vendor). Furthermore, the maintenance cost is also supported by the service provider only to be charged based on the user’s application.
• Reliability, availability, and accessibility – to meet the needs of their clients most vendors provide round the clock support which guarantees the availability of services. This outcome boosts systems’ reliability as they can be accessed whenever they are needed.
• Strategic edge – the end users get access to latest technologies and applications, an outcome that improves its competitive edge (Emani, 2017).

Weaknesses

• System downtime – On occasion, the vendor’s facilities will be overloaded with requests owing to the number of clients. In such instances, technical outages deter the functionalities of the hosted services.
• Limited control – when used, the subscribers surrenders most of their control to service providers as they manage most of the back-end activities. Thus, some administrative tasks are lost which results in minimal access and control.
• Security – similarly, by surrendering resources such as data, the end users give a third party member unsolicited access to sensitive information. In case of intrusions, these resources become readily available to the public which breaches all privacy and confidentiality requirements.
• Vendor lock-in – finally, because of the size of the resources leased, subscribers often are forced to stick to their service providers even when given poor services (Baiju, 2014).

At the onset of system development, rudimentary methods were used to design applications. Primarily, the designers holistically assembled a software based on the available resources and requirements. But, as the functionalities of these systems grew, the developers started experiencing extensive challenges in meeting the needs of the end users. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of systems formal methodologies were used in the design process, commonly known as the software/system development life cycle (SDLC). Mainly, the techniques of SDLC aim to document and actualize the best functional elements of system implementation (ISM, 2007). As such, there are different types or approaches to SDLC depending on the application being developed.

A traditional technique that uses sequential steps to implement projects without any form of overlap. To meet its objectives, the requirements and resources must be readily available as predictability is a crucial component.

Pros:

• The predictability attribute provides confidence on the final product based on the outlined user requirements.
• There is minimal time wastage because emphases are made on sequential activities without any form of overlap.
• Furthermore, it provides a simple procedure for implementing systems whose errors can be easily identified.
• Finally, because of its strict documentation requirement, it is easier to transfer roles between team members (Melonfire, 2006).

Cons:

• Lacks flexibility which when coupled with unknown requirements produces disastrous results. In some instances, the developers are forced to restart projects when the user requirements change.
• Also because of its sequential implementation process, it consumes a lot of time. Therefore, while other techniques may execute different stage together, predictive SDLC implements one step at a time.
• Finally, the process implies a complete division in labor roles where each member of the design team performs a specific task. However, in reality, this outcome is rarely the case thus the method is often filled with errors (Vashishtha, 2015).

This method defines the modern outlook of system development where implementation is based on user needs having an extensive flexibility to fit any demand or change. Furthermore, the design follows a logical yet collaborative process that executes all stages together only to be integrated at the end. It is thus a good technique for systems with diverse user requirements.

Pros:

• Adaptability is the single most important attribute of this method as it can adequately respond to changes which enhances its practicality in modern systems.
• It is also a time-saving approach because the implementation process executes all stages at once.
• Moreover, it follows a user-centered design as it is not afraid to change its actualization cycle, therefore, most of the systems developed by this method have a higher usability.
• Finally, it can produce faster system update owing to its integrative characteristic, a benefit that improves system functionalities with time.

Cons:

• Lacks a basic understanding thus is often used by experts who are rarely available to the end users.
• The expertise requirement also raises its cost which further increases the users’ expenditures (Gilley, 2015).

First, the project at hand must be analyzed holistically based on its requirements and users. Now, as a system for an entire industry, My Health Record project must fulfill many functionalities from giving patient records to inventory data. Furthermore, unlike most specialized systems, this application must satisfy many end users having different preferences and coming from various locations. Moreover, the system must account for the unknown as the functionalities or needs may change. Thus a versatile and adaptable technique is convenient for this project and thus the adaptive SDLC approach is recommended. Through this method, the system developed can seamlessly integrate with cloud solutions to extend its capabilities and availability.

References

Baiju, N. (2014). 5 advantages and disadvantages of Cloud Storage. Big Data. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://bigdata-madesimple.com/5-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-storage/

Dell EMC. (2018). Advancing Healthcare and Life Sciences within the Digital Era. Healthcare. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.dellemc.com/en-us/industry/healthcare-it.htm

Emani, K. (2017). Implementing Cloud Computing For Your Company – Weighing Out the Advantages and the Disadvantages. Simple Learn. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.simplilearn.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-computing-article

GFI. (2014). On-premise vs. cloud-based solutions: A dilemma for businesses. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.gfi.com/whitepapers/Hybrid_Technology.pdf.

Gilley, C. (2015). The Pros and Cons of Agile Product Development. User Voice. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://community.uservoice.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-agile-product-development/

(2018). Products Breakouts: Clinical Information Systems. Research Paper. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.healthcare-informatics.com/hci100/clinical-information-systems-top5-2017

ISM. (2007). Introduction to the Traditional SDLC. Six Sigma Software Development. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.ism-journal.com/ITToday/AU4426_C016.pdf.

Melonfire, C. (2006). Understanding the pros and cons of the Waterfall Model of software development. Tech Republic. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/understanding-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-waterfall-model-of-software-development/

Optum. (2018). Turning data noise into insightful action. Official Page. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.optum.com/resources/library/risk-adjustment-quality-analytics.html

Phillips. (2018). Integrated healthcare informatics for enhanced patient care. Clinical Informatics. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.philips.co.ke/healthcare/solutions/clinical-informatics

Robu, M. (2012). Cloud Computing Based Information Systems – Present and Future. The USV Annals of Economics and Public Administration, 2(16), pp. 94-98. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.seap.usv.ro/annals/ojs/index.php/annals/article/download/593/512.

Vashishtha, N. (2015). Pros and Cons of SDLC methodologies. Oodles Technologies. Retrieved 21 May, 2018, from: https://www.oodlestechnologies.com/blogs/Pros-and-Cons-of-SDLC-methodologies