"Cloud Software" is Helping Healthcare Providers Streamline Operations

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology, also known as "cloud computing," is helping healthcare providers digitize health records and streamlining business operations.

Two IBM (Armonk, NY, USA) business partners are using SaaS to help companies access applications and large amounts of virtual computing power without buying it. Instead, the applications are hosted offsite by another company, which cuts setup, maintenance, and most other costs for users. This allows the users to focus on new business opportunities, instead of dealing with daily operational and technology issues associated with running a small-to-medium business.

MedTrak Systems (North Muskegon, MI, USA) uses IBM hosting services and IBM DB2 database software to deliver its software as a cloud-based service to healthcare providers of all sizes. The internet-based software helps users improve overall care for patients while increasing business efficiency and reducing operating costs with one system that manages patient registration, scheduling, electronic health records (EHRs), clinical workflow, billing, and collections. MedTrak also provides its software as a cloud-based service to educational institutions to help build the skills of future health professionals.

The Systems House (Clifton, NJ, USA) Master Distribution System (MDS) software is tailored to the needs of healthcare supply distributors, and can be managed either by a client on its own premises or as a service, hosted remotely on IBM AIX software and IBM System-p servers. More than 75% percent of The Systems House's new customers in 2008 opted to use their software with the cloud-based services delivery model. Increased business control and an instant view of all operational activity allow users to catch invoices issued out below minimum margins, decrease inventory levels on products that no longer sell, and provide customers with documentation when they attempt to return items that were not purchased from the company. Utilizing lot and serial tracking numbers, users can also can create e-pedigree documentation for "track and trace" on drugs throughout the supply chain.

"IBM is committed to working with our many business partners, alliances and clients to apply emerging technologies such as cloud computing to today's healthcare challenges as we help build smarter worldwide healthcare systems together," said Dan Pelino, general manager of IBM Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry. "IBM provides the technical training, infrastructure, and hosting services that enable our business partners to deliver cloud-based software to those healthcare providers and businesses that would rather focus on their own core competencies than build a team of IT technical experts."

In the United States, the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will infuse US$19 billion into healthcare information technology (IT), and calls for the utilization of an EHR for each person by 2014. While EHRs help deliver smarter healthcare systems with real-time access to critical patient health information, only an estimated 38% of US physicians used partial or full EHRs in 2008.

Related Links:
IBM
MedTrak Systems
The Systems House