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UnitedHealth Group plans to release a new cloud computing service for health providers that could provide a major boost for the healthcare industry.
The offering called Optum, is part of the broad trend of moving data storage and functions into an online environment so they can be retrieved from multiple devices and locations.
The service will ensure that doctors can share information regarding patients, safely over the internet, as healthcare companies continue their push to improve care with better coordination. For instance, a doctor can use cloud-based applications, or apps, to receive automatic updates on a hospitalised patient’s condition or to be notified when a patient visits an emergency room or fails to fill prescriptions, a company spokesman said.
“We’re going to make collaboration possible in ways it is certainly not possible today,” said Andy Slavitt, Optum group executive vice president.
According to The Washington Post, coordinating cloud solutions with medical processes should help lead to better care for patients, as it is hoped the technology will enable doctors to review medical histories prior to prescribing prescriptions. Doctors will be able to catch prescriptions that could cause conflict or a bad reaction. It will also reduce test duplications and help people remember when to see the doctor or refill their prescriptions.
Optum said it plans to open up a beta version of its service in June and hopes to roll it out more broadly late this year.
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