Formal Proposal And Change Management Executive Summary

Formal Proposal And Change Management2executive Summaryas Healthcare

As healthcare demands are ever-rising, healthcare organizations must ensure they take advantage of technology by automating their daily activities as much as possible, keeping up with the technological trend. Team 7 has been contracted to create a formal proposal for modernizing the business operation’s information systems of an extensive hospital network. These include financial, administrative, and legal functions (Woroniecki, 2020). The team had earlier proposed three possible solutions to the problem posed. The first solution is to deploy a hybrid cloud computing model. This computing style is an essential tool that will significantly assist an extensive hospital network in quickly storing and retrieving information from any location. The second solution was to deploy an ERP system. An ERP system is a cloud-based system that provides a centralized platform for financial management, inventory management, procurement, and accounts payable/receivable, allowing real-time access to patient data and improving the efficiency and accuracy of clinical decision-making. The third proposed solution was to deploy service delivery models to conceptualize and operate a digitalized hospital. Service delivery models help hospitals determine which service or outsourcing models, regarding price and flexibility, are most suited to their operations. Of these three proposed solutions, the team chose to deploy a hybrid cloud computing Model as the most viable solution for the hospital network. Since the primary tool a hospital needs is accurate patient data, it is essential to have a practical means of accessing these data most securely and efficiently. This solution will easily facilitate more improvements in the future, such as deploying service delivery models and deploying an ERP system. It is more efficient and cost-effective. This paper outlines the proposed solution to the issue of modernizing the business operation’s information system of an extensive hospital network, its benefits, and the challenges that could occur during implementation and the change management procedure.

Paper For Above instruction

The rapid evolution of healthcare technology necessitates that hospital networks modernize their information systems to improve efficiency, patient care, and compliance with regulatory standards. The proposed modernization approach hinges on adopting a hybrid cloud computing model, which promises scalability, security, and cost-effectiveness, aligning with the complex data management needs of large healthcare institutions.

Hybrid cloud computing combines the advantages of both private and public clouds, allowing hospitals to store sensitive patient data securely in private clouds while leveraging the extensive resources and cost benefits of public clouds for non-sensitive applications (Hunter, 2020). This approach is particularly suitable for healthcare because of the stringent data privacy requirements mandated by HIPAA and other regulatory frameworks, which necessitate secure handling of protected health information (PHI). By segregating sensitive data onto a private cloud, hospitals can mitigate the risk of data breaches and ensure compliance, while utilizing the public cloud for less sensitive operations such as general administrative data, research, and application hosting.

Implementing hybrid cloud infrastructure can substantially boost operational agility. For example, healthcare providers can scale computing resources dynamically during peak times, such as during epidemics or large-scale health campaigns, without the substantial capital investment associated with traditional infrastructure. Additionally, cloud solutions facilitate remote access, enabling healthcare professionals to access patient data and clinical applications from anywhere, thereby enhancing collaboration and decision-making efficiency (Vodovatova, 2023).

However, transitioning to a hybrid cloud model presents notable challenges. The increased complexity of managing multiple cloud environments, including potential data conflicts between private and public segments, requires sophisticated integration and management strategies. Ensuring seamless, secure data flow and synchronization across environments is critical, as mismanagement could compromise data integrity or breach security protocols (Woroniecki, 2020). Moreover, healthcare organizations might need to hire or train specialized IT personnel or partner with external cloud management providers to oversee infrastructure, which could incur additional costs and operational complexities.

Change management is pivotal for successfully adopting hybrid cloud computing in healthcare settings. The primary goals involve fostering organizational readiness, minimizing disruption, and ensuring staff are adequately trained on new systems and processes. Clear communication of the benefits—such as improved patient care, flexibility, and cost savings—can mitigate resistance among staff. The change management process should incorporate stakeholder engagement, risk assessment, pilot testing, phased deployment, and continuous feedback mechanisms (Srinivasan, Quadir, & Vijayakumar, 2015).

Action steps include conducting a thorough needs analysis to identify specific data and application requirements, selecting a reputable cloud service provider with healthcare compliance expertise, and developing a migration plan that minimizes downtime. Pilot projects can validate the effectiveness of the hybrid cloud model before full-scale deployment, allowing iterative improvements. Training programs should be integral, focusing on cybersecurity best practices, data governance, and routine system operations to empower staff and reduce error rates.

The benefits of adopting a hybrid cloud are considerable. Cost savings stem from avoiding expensive hardware investments and adopting pay-as-you-go models. Scalability ensures the infrastructure can grow alongside organizational needs, while security features help protect sensitive patient data. Enhanced disaster recovery capabilities provided by cloud solutions ensure business continuity during system failures or natural disasters (Hunter, 2020).

This transition, however, demands comprehensive planning, technical expertise, and change management to realize its full potential. Integrating cloud solutions within the existing healthcare IT architecture must be handled carefully, respecting regulatory compliance and data protection standards. It is essential to establish governance policies and continuously monitor infrastructure performance to adapt swiftly to emerging challenges or technological improvements.

In conclusion, deploying a hybrid cloud computing model offers a promising path toward modernizing hospital information systems, with benefits of enhanced agility, security, and cost efficiency. Careful management of the transition process and addressing potential challenges proactively will be crucial to unlocking the full value of this technological evolution, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and organizational resilience.

References

  • Hunter, A. (2020). What Are the 3 Types of Cloud Computing? Parallels. Retrieved from https://www.parallels.com/blogs/desktop/types-of-cloud-computing/
  • Vodovatova, E. (2023). How the Healthcare Industry Benefits From Hybrid Cloud Solutions. The App Solutions. Retrieved from https://theappsolutions.com/blog/development/hybrid-cloud-healthcare/
  • Woroniecki, B. (2020). Operations management in healthcare. Skedulo. Retrieved from https://skedulo.com/blog/healthcare-operations-management
  • Srinivasan, A., Quadir, M. A., & Vijayakumar, V. (2015). Era of cloud computing: A new insight to hybrid cloud. Procedia Computer Science, 50, 42-51.
  • Armbrust, M., et al. (2010). A view of cloud computing. Communications of the ACM, 53(4), 50–58.
  • Caruso, J. (2019). Cloud Computing Security: Concepts, Methodologies, and Research Directions. Journal of Cloud Computing, 8, 1–20.
  • Marston, S., et al. (2011). Cloud computing — The business perspective. Decision Support Systems, 51(1), 176–189.
  • Rimal, B. P., et al. (2011). A taxonomy and survey of cloud computing systems. Future Generation Computer Systems, 28(6), 844–855.
  • Buyya, R., et al. (2010). Cloud computing and emerging IT platforms: Vision, hype, and reality for delivering computing as the 5th utility. Future Generation Computer Systems, 25(6), 599–616.
  • Zhang, Q., et al. (2010). Cloud computing research and development trend. In 2010 3rd IEEE International Conference on Computer Science and Information Technology, 93–97.

Related Assignments