The cloud is better than its reputation
At present, however, many players in the healthcare sector are still reluctant to go online. Nevertheless, Dirk Schnorpfeil, our Senior Manager Development finds that the benefits are clearly in favor of doing so.
The cloud continues to be the talk of everyone. But the tone of voice and the general approach differ noticeably from sector to sector. Whereas cloud services and Software-as-a-Service-models (SaaS) are commonplace in industrial practice and especially the opportunities are emphasized, many players in the healthcare sector are still hesitant at present. The questions I hear in this regard are mostly similar: Is it actually safe to trust my patient data to a cloud provider? Am I permitted to give out my medical data at all if they have not been anonymized? Am I not committing myself for the long term? And will I run into hidden costs?
These are all legitimate questions. Even today, however, they often have answers that are more convincing than many believe. Let's begin with data protection, which is understandably a particularly sensitive matter: In particular, the legislators are by no means inactive in this respect, and they intend to lay the legal basis for storage of medical data with cloud providers, to the extent they have not already done so. These will be subject to strict requirements, such as compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and, among others, qualifying for a C5 attestation, which has been developed by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). In this way it will be ensured, among other possibilities, that it will be permissible to store and transmit data only in encrypted form.
And when we consider the frequently hidden risks of local storage – such as an intrusion or theft of computers – data security according to such strict technical standards is even greater than a physician in private practice could guarantee. And yet another aspect that is becoming increasingly pressing: cloud providers and providers of SaaS solutions keep highly trained specialists on call around the clock. What hospital, not to mention a medical practice, could claim this ability with a clear conscience?
Besides this, there are numerous advantages that even sceptics hardly doubt: examples include simplified administration or the ability to work on the move, thus being able, for example, to contribute to a specialized opinion without being "on the spot". Or the option to call temporarily on a higher computing capacity, for example to take advantage of an advanced AI application. Even with regard to the initially posed question of costs, some arguments can be made for SaaS: The cost model can be designed so transparently that the subscribers pay only for actual use – and especially not for idle time. And anyone who uses subscription models will also be able to switch providers faster and more conveniently than ever before.
Of course: Not every promise can be trusted, but this is no different than in the past. And the maxim that you should keep your eyes open when choosing a provider has always been true! The rule of thumb in this respect is that fair providers always consider the individual needs of the customers.
In any case, I am certain that the cloud and thus SaaS solutions are coming for hospitals and private practices. The framework is in place. And thus medical professionals as well as hospitals will be freed of sideline activities that cost time and money without achieving added value for the treatment. We are looking forward to that!

"Fair providers always consider the individual needs of the customers."
Dirk Schnorpfeil
Senior Manager Development VISUS