Cloud-Based vs. In-House Electronic Health Records

Health organizations have been leveraging technology for some time to improve patient experiences and make workflows more efficient, and the central hub for clinicians to record, store and share data is their EHR.

Many factors need to be considered when choosing the right EHR, including whether it’s cloud-based or on-site. The biggest difference between the two is where the data lives. In cloud-based EHRs, patient records live in an internet-based, on-demand network. On-premise EHRs require data to be hosted locally and housed on-site, which requires significant hardware investment.

So, which is right for your organization?

Cloud-Based EHRs Offer Many Advantages

The cloud has become a vital tool in how organizations use technology, and it provides many benefits for those who adopt it. Cloud-based EHRs are relatively popular, and a study from HIMSS revealed that about two-thirds of healthcare organizations use the cloud or cloud services. So, why have so many migrated to cloud-based EHRs?

The cloud presents multiple opportunities for healthcare entities to reduce costs, enhance security and improve interoperability.

Reduce Costs and Capital Investment

Setting up a new EHR can require substantial capital depending on your requirements, especially if you are responsible for hardware and upgrades. With a cloud-based EHR, you’ll reduce costs associated with EHR implementation, management, and storage.

Every time a new upgrade occurs, you won’t incur additional costs to enhance your servers. With the cloud, you are only paying for the storage that you need, and you don’t need additional IT resources.

Enhance Data Security

Keeping healthcare data safe is paramount and required by HIPAA and other privacy regulations. Moving to the cloud improves the security of your data. Cloud service providers deliver highly secure and well-protected data centers that easily thwart cyberattacks, mostly through tactics like encryption.

Having an on-site server means you are completely responsible for its security, which may be a hard task to ensure, especially for small healthcare entities that don’t have the resources.

Improve Interoperability for Better Patient Outcomes

The world of healthcare data places substantial emphasis on that the ability to share that data across applications. Healthcare interoperability is critical in the modern world, enabling greater access to information to improve patient care.

This data sharing must be secure and seamless, which is better accomplished by using the cloud. Interoperability boosts clinician satisfaction with EHRs, which is much harder to execute with on-premise EHRs.

On-premise applications suffer from poor usability, hampering the ability to exchange data. Cloud-based applications can be a huge help in overcoming interoperability barriers, which, in turn, improves patient outcomes.

Your EHR Should Deliver Advantages, Not Obstacles

Your EHR solution is one of your most valuable tools. Being stuck with on-premise systems is keeping you from realizing multiple benefits.