The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing in Healthcare

Abstract. This paper will discuss details about the positive and negative impact of cloud computing with regards to its implementation in healthcare and information technology. The main supporting material that will be used for this paper is Opportunities and Challenges of Cloud Computing to Improve Health Care Services by Alex Mu-Hsing Kuo, PhD, from the University of Victoria. Keywords. Electronic Health Record, Cloud Computing, Healthcare, Positive, Negative, Impact Introduction: An Overview The model for cloud computing was born during the 1960s, and was based on the initial ideas of J.C.R. Licklider, who was involved with ARPANET and envisioned computation in a form of a shared global network, and John McCarthy, who founded the term artificial intelligence and idealized that computation is a public tool and utility [1]. The term cloud computing literally means internet computing, where the cloud is a metaphor for the internet. The actual term itself has been much debated over who really coined the term [2]. With that said, Cloud computing serves as an on-demand, self-service Internet infrastructure that allows the distribution and storage of data and hosting of different applications across different servers. These servers could be located anywhere in the world, and can be access anywhere at any time [3]. There are currently many applications of cloud computing that have already been developed and are currently being worked on. These will be discussed in more detailed and as well as the positive and negative effects they entail.
1. Current Implementations

As indicated in Alex Kuos paper of Opportunities and Challenges of Cloud Computing to Improve Health Care Services, cloud computing includes 3 archetypal models. This includes software, platform, and infrastructure. 1. Software as a service (SaaS) allows applications to be hosted by a cloud service provider. These applications can be used by customers via the internet [4]. Popular examples of Software as a service applications include Survey Monkey, where one can create and share surveys and questionnaires online, and Ancestry, where customers can look up their ancestry and lineage using the online application. 2. Platform as a service (PaaS) allows for development tools and solution stack to be hosted and delivered as an on demand service. Customers can create applications on the cloud using tools that are available on online platforms. [5] Great examples of PaaS include Googles App Engine that enables developers to create Google applications online without having to install necessary software on their own computer and WaveMaker, a visual development studio that allows for online development of Web 2.0 applications. 3. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) allows for outsourcing of equipment that is needed to support operations in certain organizations. This equipment includes servers, networking components, and other hardware. The IaaS provider owns the hardware and is responsible

for the hardwares housing and maintenance. Customers avail of this service by means of subscription [6]. Examples of this include IBM and Amazon Web Services who provide services by lending their servers to customers. There are also four deployment variations of cloud computing: public, private, community, and hybrid. 1. Public cloud a cloud service that is made available to anyone in the world by its providers. Anyone can have access to this type of cloud. Some providers give out free online storage space such as Ubuntu One and Dropbox. To get more space, these providers are also asking for a monthly fee for customers to be able to have more storage space. 2. Private cloud a cloud service that is solely used by individual organizations. Its services are only accessible to those who are in the same organization much like a wireless intranet. 3. Community cloud a cloud service that is shared by two or more organizations. 4. Hybrid cloud as the name suggests, is a combination of 2 or more clouds that could be private, public or community.
2. Positive Impact of Cloud Computing in Healthcare

As demonstrated above, the applications of cloud computing to current industries are numerous. One of the most important industries that is making its way into integrating cloud computing with its current processes is healthcare. In healthcare, the ability to outsource hardware is very promising considering how costly it is to buy rows and rows of servers and networking components. Cloud computing allows for a low cost approach. A newly opened hospital, for example, does not have to deal with evaluating and purchasing the most effective and efficient hardware. This can speed up deployment and, by eliminating infrastructure cost and additional fees for IT maintenance, can also lessen the burdens that are present during Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption [7]. With regards to security, there are differing opinions on whether cloud computing is safe or not. Due to the fact that it is accessible via the Internet, there is a tendency for people to think of issues related to privacy. Although, cloud computing is not necessarily less secure than locally housed data. Cloud service providers are very aware of the risks that are present and are devoted to solving security issues that may arise. Compared to locally housed data, IT services are responsible for maintaining the security of their organizations data centers besides other tasks such as integrating new systems to their workflow. With cloud computing, it is the providers responsibility to oversee the safety and protection of the data that is being stored in their servers. It can also be noted that security measures are usually cheaper when implemented on a larger scale [8]. Other advantages of cloud computing include easier collaboration since cloud servers can be accessed anytime and anywhere; making it easier to collaborate with co-workers and employees remotely. Cloud computing is also easily scalable providing more and more storage space for hospital data as it increases over time. Another is that it levels the playing field by allowing small scale to mid-size hospitals or any organization from any industry access to more sophisticated technology at lower and more cost-effective prices. [9]
3. Negative Impact of Cloud Computing in Healthcare

The main problem area in integrating cloud computing in healthcare lies with privacy, security, and policies. As previously mentioned, there are differing opinions on whether cloud computing is safe or not. And although it has been stated that cloud computing is relatively safe, the risks are still present and could possibly happen. The challenge for integrating any hospital with cloud computing is safeguarding patient information from possible risks from hackers attacks, network

breaks, natural disasters, separation failure, public management interface, poor encryption key management, and privilege abuse [10]. Factoring in the cloud service providers, it also has to be taken into account the degree of unpredictability of performance, data lock-in, data transfer bottlenecks, and bugs in large-scale distributed cloud systems [11] when signing up for cloud computing. One should be aware of the standards and policies that certain cloud service providers uphold when dealing with outsourced data.
4. Conclusion

Cloud computing is the wave of the future for healthcare. It can set higher standards for interoperability and shared computing power among different healthcare facilities. It can also alleviate the cost issues that continuously plague new system implementation and the ever increasing demand for more data storage. With all its benefits, security and privacy should be one of the main focus and concern of providers when providing services for organizations. The effectiveness of securing patient information can be the deciding factor between people fully embracing cloud computing or people looking for alternative ways to cater to their increasing computing demand. References
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Cantu, A. (n.d.). The History and Future of Cloud Computing. Forbes. Retrieved June 8, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dell/2011/12/20/the-history-and-future-of-cloud-computing/ Regalado, A. (n.d.). Who Coined 'Cloud Computing'?. Technology Review. Retrieved June 8, 2012, from http://www.technologyreview.com/news/425970/who-coined-cloud-computing/ Kuo, A. M. (2011, September 21). Opportunities and Challenges of Cloud Computing to Improve Health Care Services. Journal of Medicine Internet Research. Retrieved June 8, 2012, from http://www.jmir.org/2011/3/e67/ Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid Holland, K. (2011, August 5). Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing. The Beckon - Building Better Businesses. Retrieved June 8, 2012, from http://www.thebeckon.com/pros-and-cons-ofcloud-computing/ Kuo

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