Why cloud-based EHRs are on the rise

Convenience, reliability, and security are critical features of an electronic health record (EHR) system. For the independent physician, a cloud-based EHR can mean additional time spent with the patient and less time spent with maintenance and necessary updates to the system. Cloud-based EHRs are on the rise as more physicians find that these valuable features are important to their practice success and their ability to provide quality healthcare to their patients.

Globally, the healthcare cloud computing market is projected to reach $44.93 billion by 2023, from an estimated $19.46 billion in 2018. One of the major factors in this growth is the advantage of cloud usage. According to a report posted on PRNewswire, North America accounts for the largest share of this market, which can “primarily be attributed to the increasing adoption of EHRs among medical professionals.”

Independent physicians are recognizing the advantages of cloud-based EHRs in increasing numbers. With cloud-based EHRs, much of the administrative and maintenance burden is shifted to the Software as a Service (SAAS) provider, allowing physicians and their clinical staff to spend fewer resources on the installation and upkeep of the server and more time with the patient.

Cloud-based EHR systems actually solve many of the issues that practices may be worried about when choosing to adopt an EHR system. In server-based EHR systems, thousands of dollars can be spent in order to install and implement a server, hardware, and software. Additionally, regular maintenance and management from a local IT department is also needed.

Cloud-based EHR systems are already established by a SAAS provider, meaning the expense of money and time diminishes dramatically. Much of the configuring, security and software is handled by the SAAS provider, thus cancelling a significant bulk of the anticipated work. And because the server is created and managed by the provider, this means that the vendor is more likely to meet HIPAA patient information confidentiality standards. This makes future expansions of a practice an easy task rather than a complete overhaul of the system. The practice does not have to worry about the capacity of the servers or any additional licensing fees.

Technology tends to advance rapidly and incrementally. Regulatory requirements also require updates to EHR systems. Cloud-based EHRs are on the rise as more independent physicians recognize that they offer the convenience, reliability, and security they need for their practice to keep up with changes and to provide quality healthcare to their patients.