The following is a guest article by Nathan Shepard, SVP of Product at Azalea Health
As rural providers look to replace legacy solutions, they’re confronted with several critical decision points.
One of the most pressing questions that has far-reaching ramifications is whether they should opt for an on-premises or cloud-based solution.
While many providers see the benefits and name recognition of on-premises solutions and view a cloud-first system as less mature, eliminating the need for an on-premises system reduces the worries inherently tied to on-site solutions.
No matter what an organization selects, buyers yearn for — and deserve — the benefits of the latest enterprise-level solutions. They know that modern platforms will improve their internal operations, help increase revenue collection, and improve the patient experience.
But just like comparing different types of aircraft, the options for EHR solutions are widely separated in terms of complexity. Both a Cessna and an F-16 are excellent aircraft for their intended purposes, but they’re not in the same class in terms of simplicity and intuitive usability or on the same scale in terms of cost.
While limited broadband internet access is a challenge many rural providers face, additional federal investments in broadband access will help close the digital divide and allow providers to see more patients accessing health services via telehealth and patient portals. However, providers cannot always afford to wait for those investments to come to fruition.
The right cloud-based EHR solution is ideal for underserved and isolated providers. It can reduce IT and bandwidth requirements while providing high configurability, minimizing costly change orders, and coding efforts.
Open application programming interfaces (APIs) play a crucial role in unlocking value. SaaS-based EHR platforms make it easier to integrate with other applications, which can enhance the capabilities of the core EHR and lead to a more comprehensive system of clinical intelligence.
Rural healthcare administrators need a modern system to help them navigate the challenges they regularly encounter. Luckily, with recent technological improvements, buyers can now find enterprise-level interoperable healthcare solutions and revenue cycle performance services with the horsepower and reliability of legacy on-premises solutions but with a manageable implementation effort and at a rural-friendly cost.
Security Must be Enterprise-Grade and Already Enabled by Default
Every week, another hospital or software solution is hacked. Cybersecurity is rightly a top concern for providers.
Unfortunately, it’s hard for many organizations to prioritize security when focused on keeping their doors open. While many hospitals have dedicated IT personnel, others will rely on a member of their C-suite, such as the CEO or CFO, to handle their technology affairs.
This approach unintentionally makes organizations aware of their vulnerability and causes them to become risk-averse.
On the one hand, adversity to risks is admirable — and often called for in modern times. While it’s an understandable position for many decision-makers, they can’t let worry hinder their ability to deploy modern tools and services their organizations — and, by extension, their patients — demand.
The mistake organizations make is thinking their security approach is something they need to implement alone. No matter what path an organization chooses, it must ensure security is embedded in the platform from start to finish, and leveraging the right platforms can alleviate a substantial amount of this effort.
What providers need is a trusted partner who can deploy significant resources to manage their technology stack behind the scenes. Cloud solutions offer an added benefit: whenever a new version comes out, the vendor can release the upgrade immediately and quietly, without needing to take a system offline at an inopportune time or for an extended period. Cloud solutions can optimize bandwidth usage, empowering rural providers to maintain their productivity even with a suboptimal connection.
Additionally, cloud-based providers can provide fully dedicated security teams whose sole responsibility is to remain up-to-date on the latest threats facing organizations, removing that burden from the administration team.
Speed to Implementation is Imperative
While so much of the world moves at warp speed, it seems to slow to a crawl when it comes to implementing software and technology.
One of the most significant benefits of cloud-based solutions is the speed of implementation, proving the old adage, “Time is money.”
An on-premises solution can take 12-18 months to successfully implement, depending on the implementation specifics. Conversely, a healthcare provider could deploy a modern cloud-based solution in six months.
Unlike an on-premises solution, the implementation team doesn’t have to wait for hardware to arrive to start configuring and integrating it. These solutions often require teams to stay on-site for weeks, further adding to the cost of implementation.
A cloud-based provider can spin up a new environment that a provider can log into shortly after the environment is created, create a test patient, and start working through the process. The entire interface can be up and running in a matter of weeks.
Additionally, cloud systems generally reduce the upfront monetary outlays often required to procure hardware required for on-site solutions.
Cloud-Based Solutions Offer a True Return on Investment
Given many institutions’ tight budgets, they can ill afford to throw good money at bad.
One of the biggest shortcomings of any system is its lack of unification across the hospital and clinical sides. It increases bureaucracy, slows patient care, and costs everyone more time and money.
Because providers can become accustomed to the workarounds required when using separate systems across their locations, they are often reluctant to replace them.
However, they’ve inadvertently made systems that function but have not created systems to meet their organization’s needs. In refusing to act, they limit the benefits they will realize from technology.
Our research shows that the right cloud-based solution improves the quality of care and operational efficiencies. In an era where institutions face endless difficulty hiring and retaining talent, solutions that increase productivity are imperative.
Further, the right interoperable healthcare solutions and revenue cycle performance services can reduce the risk of Medicare Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Meaningful Use Stage 3 (MU3) penalties. It can also reduce the number of days in accounts receivable for health systems.
The right solution can also offer a roughly 50% reduction in time and cost management of EHR infrastructure.
The healthcare industry has an amazing opportunity to revolutionize the tools it uses in delivering next-level healthcare. While solving the industry’s problems will take time and effort, putting in place the tools that will help alleviate some of those concerns is the logical next step.
Cloud-based systems provide a lower-cost solution that’s easier and quicker to implement without sacrificing the quality of the platform and without the same bandwidth requirements as other offerings. Since these offerings can grow with a provider’s needs, it’s a win-win for everyone, from the providers to the patients.
About Nathan Shepard
Nathan Shepard has been working for over 15 years to understand the problems physicians face in improving patient care and profitability. His team constantly engages with clients to document problems and prioritize the highest-impact issues his team needs to solve.
