WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA – Here at Prognition Corp., we have shared for years our opinions on the vast benefits of cloud computing in physical therapy clinics, and have believed that cloud computing had applications in a variety of medical settings.
Research continues to show that cloud computing has revolutionized the health care industry.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, American Medical News gives a great definition: Cloud computing refers to a number of technology solutions that have three things in common.
- They run on the Internet.
- They use shared resources including storage, processing, memory and network bandwidth with other users.
- They are “on-demand,” which means network storage and other capabilities can be adjusted virtually without the need for in-house IT staff to tear apart computers and add additional wiring and cords.
Medical Office Today lists one of the greatest benefits of cloud computing technology is the way it makes accessing data a simple process.
“There was a time when medical offices devoted a good portion of square footage to records storage,” says Dr. Jay Winburn, president of Prognition, which makes Mavenlive exercise prescription software- a cloud-based product. “Today, all of those records can be stored electronically in the cloud. We’ve certainly come a long way.”
Cloud-based software such as Mavenlive also is more flexible and user-friendly than traditional systems. When rehab exercise software and other types of health care-related software are accessed from the cloud, the user can use a variety of devices to access their information, including iPads, laptops and even smart phones, Winburn says.
Storing information in the cloud and accessing it via a variety of devices also provides the freedom for medical professionals to access the information from anywhere they have Internet access. That could mean their office, their home, or a local coffee shop. “Medical professionals lead busy lives, so this makes it possible for them to work nearly wherever they are when they have a spare moment,” he says.
Catching up on letters to referring doctors can be done from the comfort of your couch at home, if you want. Or you can create a new physiotherapy exercise and enter it into the system while you’re taking a lunch break. When it comes to cost, experts agree that cloud-based solutions provide notable savings, according to American Medical News.
Cloud computing eliminates the need for servers and IT professionals to maintain them, says Chris Metcalfe, vice president of technical development for Mavenlive. “We maintain that here at Prognition,” Metcalfe says. “If something needs to be upgraded or a glitch needs to be corrected, we take care of all of that.”
The cost of cloud-based Mavenlive’s physical therapy software programs depends on the needs of each clinic and their storage needs, Winburn says. However, it’s typically acknowledged in technology circles that cloud-based systems tend to be less expensive and more flexible for medical offices’ needs, according to AMN.
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