For the healthcare industry, it's evident that the cloud is here to stay. Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) are no longer trying to determine whether the cloud is right for them. Instead, the conversation has evolved to determine how best to leverage the cloud to meet their organization's strategic goals. The cloud has proven to be an effective tool, but there are a few avenues for MCOs to maximize this resource better and achieve their desired outcomes.
The COVID-19 pandemic fully demonstrated the value of the cloud. Having reliable sources of data that could be interoperable between different organizations proved vital. But how has the pandemic shifted cloud usage, and what does the future of the cloud look like?
Boost Member Engagement
The benefits of the cloud have helped not only MCOs but also their members. The cloud offers members greater opportunities to access their healthcare data. It provides them options to proactively manage their health. It helps to ease a critical pain-point for many organizations regarding member engagement and completion rates.
Previously, many plans relied on phone calls or mailers to incentivize patients to complete health screenings. These antiquated methods were time-consuming and costly; the cloud offers a way to eliminate both while improving outcomes. Health organizations need to utilize better cloud communication technologies, such as text messaging or microsites, to change member behavior and boost completion rates. Partnering with a software vendor can help expedite this process and ensure that data remains secure and compliant.
Increase Data Interoperability
As more of the healthcare industry goes digital, enabling data to be interoperable between different healthcare vendors and organizations grows increasingly critical. Plus, with the Interoperability and Patient Access Rule set to go into effect by July 1, 2021, this is an area MCOs can no longer afford to ignore. These organizations need to focus on building their cloud infrastructure to publish health information to third-parties. Utilizing a trusted cloud service can ensure that this happens quickly and efficiently. There are several cloud deployment options for MCOs to consider, but the cloud remains the necessary tool to ensure compliance with the new regulation.
Safely Bring Employees Back to the Office
The cloud demonstrated its value during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing essential information to health organizations, sometimes even in a remote setting, helped to lessen the strain put on the industry. The cloud can assist organizations looking to return their employees to the office safely. The cloud uniquely offers solutions to problems arising in this situation. Private organizations can partner with MCOs through the cloud to ensure that employees complete necessary screenings, read and understand healthcare policies, and follow contact exposure guidelines. With the cloud, organizations can adjust to the new normal and confidently and safely bring employees back to the office.
Sagitec's HealConnect solution is a HITRUST certified, cloud-based solution that can help health organizations better achieve their strategic goals. From member engagement to data interoperability, request a demo or visit our website to learn more about we can help.
