Gone are the days when hospitals and other healthcare centers would have large physical data centers to store essential documents like MRIs, CT scans, etc. With technology soaking up deep into the dermis of every domain, the healthcare data center has got a much-needed makeover.
Today, most healthcare centers require managed datacenter services to get a compact and technologically-advanced storage center for their important patient documents. These modern data management solutions are changing how the healthcare industry manages and transfers data regularly.
The growing need for high-tech data centers
The healthcare industry is growing by the day. It needs a more secure, robust, and standardized data structure to aid its regular practices. Moreover, the requirement of data centers and compliance specialists is more than ever with the increase in telemedicine, where the patients and healthcare providers connect remotely through VPNs and video conferencing software.
Furthermore, the machines and equipment that are regularly used at hospitals and healthcare centers mandate the use of data centers. Medical equipment like CT scans, MRI machines, X-ray machines regularly generate a considerable amount of diagnostic data that needs to be stored on a highly-secured infrastructure.
Earlier, the healthcare centers would save these images in files and folders. But now, with data centers, the essential data comprising medical records and other documents is sorted and easily accessible. It is also easy for healthcare centers and patients to track the course of the treatment.
The shift in data centers
IT professionals are entertaining an increased workload due to this influx of connected devices in the healthcare industry. As a result, the data managers shift the data to edge or cloud networks, as it promises better performance, flexibility and increased savings. Some data goes into the offsite data center. But the important data remains on-premise to comply with the HIPAA protocol.
This further highlights the need for on-premise data centers. Furthermore, the healthcare organizations that require advanced data management solutions use hybrid infrastructure.
Hybrid infrastructure: What is it?
Although moving data to the cloud is a technologically-advanced prospect, the path is laden with challenges. This is where hybrid infrastructure comes into the picture.
A hybrid cloud is a cloud-computing infrastructure that includes more than one type of cloud, including private cloud and public cloud. As this infrastructure integrates an offsite and on-premises private cloud, it is promising for healthcare providers.
IoT and healthcare data
The Internet of Things is adding new dimensions to the healthcare industry. With its unique applications, it promises efficiency and accuracy.
Currently, the healthcare industry uses fixed-position technologies, such as detailed scanners, high-power microscopes, etc. With the integration of IoT, the future seems brighter. With mobile technologies like RFID chips and readers to track facility assets, patient monitoring devices, patient drug delivery systems, control stations for patient rooms, , video capture technology, wearable devices for constant physiological tracking (blood oxygen, blood pressure, etc.), etc., the future seems brighter.
Although several devices are already available to capture and stream the data (photos and videos) derived from these equipment, there is still the need for robust management and storage solutions. IoT is sure to aid the data management of the growing pool of patients.
The bottom line
The data center has proved to be a boon for every industry, including healthcare. With new technological advancements happening in this domain, the future seems very bright.
Having an advanced data center for healthcare data management is plucking out the data storage problems from their roots.
