Advantages of cloud commissioning technology within healthcare

A digitally focused health service

In January 2019, before Covid-19 gripped the UK, the NHS released its ‘Long Term Plan’ which outlines targets, objectives and plans for the next ten years. Within this document, included a plan to become digitally enabled across internal and external services, with a focus on mainstream transformation.

The plan, at the time, was considered “ambitious” but would digitally transform the NHS and “help health and care professionals communicate better and enable people to access the care they need quickly and easily, when it suits them.” (NHS England) It would also provide an easier and more secure way to access and transfer data when required to help standardise care and improvements.

A year later, when the pandemic hit, these plans were accelerated and as the UK announced its first lockdown in March 2020, businesses and healthcare providers turned to virtual and online solutions. As an industry that has previously lagged behind technological change, healthcare organisations quickly embraced digitally led solutions which enabled them to continue providing care, even at the height of the pandemic.

At first, most of the focus was getting health services back online and accessible to staff and patients. Where possible, care needed to be accessed from anywhere, to reduce the number of people at health provider sites and slow the spread of Covid-19. This also ensured that the most vulnerable patients were not exposed or in contact with someone who could potentially be infected.

Three years later, NHS digital changes have been embraced by staff and patients alike, creating a more accessible service and an acceptance of online or virtual care.

Why cloud technology?

Cloud technology has revolutionised health services by digitally transforming the way people access, transfer and store data when interacting with healthcare organisations.

Cloud technology isn’t a new service and first appeared as a mainstream solution to store data in 2005 but has since seen rapid technological development. From 2012, with a wider choice of providers, cloud technology entered its second generation, becoming a larger and more trusted solution (BCS).

According to West Monroe Partner’s report released in 2019, 35% of healthcare organisations held over 50 percent of data or infrastructure in the cloud.

Since then, healthcare organisations have continued to invest heavily in cloud services.

6 advantages of using cloud commissioning technology

Cloud commissioning, such as the Access adam healthcare solution, is designed using the latest technology in cloud computing and provides a vast range of benefits for healthcare organisations, providers, staff and patients. At Access Adam we tailor our solutions to support each client’s unique challenges while providing the full benefits of a secure cloud service.

Here are 6 key advantages of using cloud commissioning:

• Security and protection

Data protection and security are a top priority for any healthcare commissioning solution. Cloud commissioning offers a scalable and secure system which protects the entire ‘data lifecycle’.

“The NHS has seen how technology and data helps to provide safe and compassionate care to patients and to communicate with each other.” (NHS England) – Matrons handbook, midwifery

At Access Adam, we work closely with NHS England and NHS digital to ensure healthcare data is accessed, stored and shared in line with NHS regulations and guidelines. Most recently we have supported CCGs with the April 2022 Patient Level Data Set implementation – find out more about this project here.

• Flexibility and mobility

Cloud commissioning can scale with each healthcare organisation and allows for remote access from any location. This gives staff, patients, and providers more control over their data and access to the service.

Access Adam’s healthcare solution has a digital onboarding process which is completed entirely within the platform, thereby saving staff and providers time and travel costs when setting up a new supplier. The communication tools within the platform also allows healthcare organisations and suppliers to communicate quickly and provide notifications of any new updates, all within a single system. This gives procurement teams more flexibility when adjusting care needs or selecting urgent care placements.

• Insight and reporting

Cloud technology isn’t just for storing or accessing data but offers a wealth of reporting features to analyse and give insights for future improvements. The adam reporting features offer a wealth of tools to ensure our clients have a better view of the provider marketplace to make procurement decisions based on accurate up-to-date information.

From 1st April 2022, all Access adam CCG clients will have access to automatically generated reports of the new Patient Level Data Set. We are also committed to updating data requirements in line with NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) requirements and government regulations.

• Increased collaboration

Due to the flexibility of cloud technology, commissioning platforms can be integrated into wider healthcare processes and legacy procurement tools. Tailored solutions, such as Access Adam, can also seamlessly work alongside other commissioning providers and partner to resolve wider market challenges. As well as encourage collaboration between care departments. With the implementation of Integrated Care Systems (ICS), collaborative tools will be invaluable for cross department improvements and communication.

“Cloud computing – together with mobile infrastructure – can provide reliable and secure communication channels between medical professionals.” (HealthTechDigital)

The adam Provider Insights team works with the market to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by healthcare organisations and providers. By collaborating with market providers, cloud commissioning platforms can be adjusted to reflect changing circumstances. Whether this is to implement a new compliance measure or provider requirements, the system can be adjusted quickly to push out updates to all users without disrupting the user experience or processes in place.

• Quality control

As mentioned, cloud commissioning is securely protected and works with clients to assign user privilege levels, ensuring only those with the correct permissions can view, export or edit the data. Cloud technology also keeps a record of changes made to the system by each user and can restore previous ‘versions’ if an issue occurs or in the event of previous data being overwritten.

Not only does this protect the quality of the data within the system, it also protects who sees and accesses patient data, giving a clear overview of any patient’s journey and auditing each action.

• Sustainability

By investing in cloud commissioning, healthcare providers can deliver a more sustainable service. As a technology solution, simply by switching, healthcare organisations can reduce their carbon footprint and implement sustainable change or sustainable action by tailoring supplier requirements.

We are committed to developing a culture of environmental awareness and work with our clients on their sustainability goals. Discover how the our commissioning software supports long term climate change goals for our public sector clients here.

These are just some of the advantages of switching to a cloud-based commissioning solution for healthcare procurement. Find out more about how your organisation can benefit from our  healthcare solution by contacting our team.