Cloud Computing

Cloud computing defines a dynamic platform that is able to configure, manage and deploy information technology solutions in the digital environment. Unlike the conventional approach of IT services, the end user does not invest in physical devices rather on access mediums such as computers and mobile phones. Through these devices, the subscriber remotely accesses their resources as provided by the service provider. It is through this procedure that the costs of operations are lowered while engaging in multiple functional activities. Furthermore, the management of solutions is done by a third party member, an outcome that minimizes the roles of the user who is now only left with the front end practices. Similar objectives are envisioned by the Commonwealth project, where through leased resources the My Health Record project will be deployed online. Now, a seamless integration is needed to facilitate this process as multiple requirements from the variety of data to the number of users will be considered. As such, this report analyses cloud solutions and their correlation with system development.

Information systems serve three main data functions; collection, processing, and storage. Through these operations organizations gain the necessary information to manage their activities across different departments or sectors. The project at hand will follow a similar outline and although these functions are common, their respective features are determined by the vendors.

Phillips – The systems developed by this vendor are based on a multiple knowledge sharing platforms, a key feature of medical systems. Therefore, as a system’s service provider Phillips offers the following feature.

• Report enhancements – facilitated by timely scheduling and billing functionalities, the programs developed avail various templates for reporting processed data which is key to managing patient’s records.
• Statistical reporting – data primarily statistical information is presented to the end users using visual aids for easy readability and understanding.
• Milestone tracking – to account for the progress in medical treatment, the systems can monitor changes in records or images such as radiology reports.
• Peer review – through system collaboration, the subscribers can provide feedback to their colleagues’ works thus enhance the overall functionality of the industry.
• Data mining and dashboards – this feature enhances the data processing procedures as raw data is analyzed based on the concepts of business intelligence boosting the quality of results.
• Daily support – in line with the company’s commitment to offering consistent services, system experts provide daily support to guarantee performance (ITN, 2008).

Microsoft Azure – geared towards developing cloud-based solutions, this vendor can adequately offer both the hosting and implementation services for the My Health Record project. Its features are as follows.

• Data classification – it offers policies that help subscribers classify data labels based on their sensitivity which in this case would automate the system’s functions.
• Visibility and control – activities across shared platforms can be tracked to monitor the users thus ascertain the application’s security.
• Shared environment – as its services are based on the cloud, coworkers can collaborate effectively.
• Deployment flexibility – facilitated by the Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) and Hold Your Own Key (HYOK), the deployment as well as encryption process are determined by the subscriber.
• Multifactor authentication – security is guaranteed as access is based on multiple factors such as the combination of passwords and biometric scans.
• Active directory – users have the capability to synch online resources with on-premise directories which enhances system functionalities as they have access to an extensive database (Azure, 2018).

MEDITECH – specializing in the development of EHR (Electronic Health Records), MEDITECH provides web-based systems that manage data in the virtual landscape. It thus has the following features.

Key Features:

• Consolidation of patient’s records – all EMR software are designed with a centralized structure where any authorized personnel can access resources simultaneously to improve care.
• Security – Role-based access, control, and restriction are used to maintain the confidentiality of data, a process that facilitates systems’ security.
• Reporting tools – A robust feature that presents patient’s records in trending formats such as those of graphs, picture and flow sheets.
• Compatibility and interoperability – most systems are developed with the ability to link with other vendors applications. Moreover, the Continuity of Care Document suite makes it possible to extract medical summaries (XMS) from other software.
• 0 platform – a new feature that upgrades all the systems’ facilities including the usage and performance, which generally is meant to enhance the practicality of systems.
• Live support – each software is developed with a live protocol to contact the vendor in case of operational problems, which is a good tool for troubleshooting system’s failures (Becca, 2012).

While efficient in its services, cloud computing presents considerable challenges in its application. However, despite the limitations, this technology offers a new paradigm to information and communication systems having an on-demand structure that is paid for on a per-user model. As such, both small and large-scale organizations can invest in it as the initial set up costs of IT infrastructure are avoided. My Health Record project will serve many people across a wide region which necessitates a system that is easily distributed across a large geographical area (Bildosola, et al., 2015). Furthermore, with the ubiquitous and on-demand access, this virtualized technology will increase the users’ accessibility by readily availing the resources needed. Nevertheless, the considerations of security, privacy, and confidentiality will have to be considered.

Information Systems and vendors

Strengths

• Cost Efficiency – cloud solutions are the most cost-effective methods to set-up, maintain and upgrade IT resources. Essentially, this project would only have to lease its infrastructure requirements from a vendor and pay based on how it uses the resources.
• Unlimited Storage – the healthcare system will have huge storage requirement owing to the number of users and size of data. This requirement is easily satisfied by cloud solutions as vendors have endless storage facilities.
• Easy access to Information – considering that access is done using web browsers, the users (practitioners and patients) will easily access the system so long as they have an internet connection.
• Back-up and Recovery – in case of failure, the redundant resources used by the service provider helps the subscriber recover their data (Apostu, et al., 2015).

Weaknesses

• Data security – a serious vulnerability that is inherently caused by the technology’s characteristics. For one, the subscriber (Commonwealth) has to surrender their data to a third party member. Further, their resources are accessed via a public channel (the internet).
• Performance and outages – depending on the internet connection, the performance of the online system will vary. Moreover, with the demands made by multiple customers, the vendor’s resources may be overwhelmed resulting in outages.
• High costs when attacked – although cloud resources are cheap to acquire, this benefit is lost when the services are attacked by intruders. For instance, a Denial of Service (DoS) attack can crash all servers resulting in huge losses, a cost that would increase even further considering the user has to recover their data (HelpDesk LLC, 2011).

SDLC Approaches

Advances in information technology have resulted in complex systems that assist organizations in their daily activities, from transactions to office automation. While traditional applications were easily designed based on the pre-determined requirements, these new systems have higher demands thus require more analysis before implementation. System Development consists of the processes that are involved in the implementation of information systems such as the one considered in this project. In particular, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) outlines a conceptual model that describes the steps of developing an application project (Isaias & Issa, 2015). Although a common outline is followed from planning to maintenance, the specific stages are determined by the project. As such, various approaches exist within the SDLC methodology.

A plan-driven methodology that follows a systemic procedure in designing a project. The waterfall model is the best example of this approach as a sequence of events are used without any form of overlap. Thus, each subsequent steps is first implemented before proceeding to the next phase (Okoli & Carillo, 2012). Due to this strict guideline, this technique requires the developers to know all the requirements and resources before the development process, which is then supplemented by detailed documentation.

Pros

• The method always has a clear outline of the project’s objectives.
• Pre-determined requirements produce a stable system in the end.
• Its strict guideline also makes it easier to measure progress.
• Signoffs and transfers are easy to achieve owing to the documentation process.

Cons

• Extremely time-consuming as each stage is implemented independently.
• Minimal flexibility particularly, no backward activities.
• There is usually little room for change or iterations (MSB, 2018)

Adaptive Approach

A dynamic approach that accepts the likelihood of changes in projects’ scope, such as requirements and the resources available. Unlike the predictive method, the adaptive technique follows a logical outline but all stages are implemented simultaneously then are combined at the end of the process. Furthermore, to cater for changes and the unpredictability of systems, iterative deployment is used having different design cycles (MSB, 2018). Therefore, in the end, a project can be developed multiple times before the final system is deployed to the public.

Pros

• Varying system approach that guarantees results through operation flexibility.
• Time efficient as the development stages are conducted simultaneously.
• Functionality is prioritized over any other requirement.
• Risk management is enhanced due to the agile approach that adapt to any limitations.

Cons

• The methodology is highly customized which limits its re-usability.
• A lot of technical expertise is needed which raises the overall cost of implementation.
• Finally, it is a complex approach that is not easily understood (Anju, 2013).

Conclusion

My Health Record is a long time project that will require several adjustments before deploying the final solution. Furthermore, with its resource requirements, the end users (Commonwealth) are more likely to change their demands with time to fit their immediate needs. These needs also will account for the different preferences put forth by the system’s users such as doctors and nurses. Therefore, an agile approach is needed in this project to guarantee the desired results are obtained. Moreover, with its proposed integration with cloud solutions, the adaptive methodology will facilitate a seamless collaboration regardless of the technologies used.

Cloud computing without a doubt is the most common technology used today because of its ability to avail resources when needed. Services such as electronic mail (E-mail) enable users to communicate and share information through the internet without any investment in IT infrastructure. These benefits are further exemplified in organizations where storage and computing equipment is leased at affordable costs from service providers. Therefore, it is a wise investment for the Commonwealth project as it guarantees the management of cost and functional operations.

References

Anju, R. (2013). What are the advantages and disadvantages of Agile Methodology? ZYXWARE. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://www.zyxware.com/articles/3654/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-agile-methodology

Apostu, A., Puican, F., Ularu, G., Suciu, G & Todoran, G. (2015). Study on advantages and disadvantages of Cloud Computing – the advantages of Telemetry Applications in the Cloud. Recent Advances in Applied Computer Science and Digital Services. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/da62/49af5e0df8ed36334b34c2f1010ed19c53f4.pdf.

Becca. (2012). MEDITECH EMR Software-An Overview. Excite Health Partners. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://excitehealthpartners.com/news/meditech-emr-software-an-overview/

Bildosola, I., Río-Belver, R., Cilleruelo, E & Garechana, G. (2015). Design and Implementation of a Cloud Computing Adoption Decision Tool: Generating a Cloud Road. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 10(7). Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4521817/

HelpDesk LLC. (2011). The Pros & Cons of Cloud Computing. A Special Report for Small Business. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://www.thehelpdeskllc.com/pdf/what-is-cloud-computing.pdf.

Isaias, P & Issa, T. (2015). Information System Development Life Cycle Models. High Level Models and Methodologies for Information Systems. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9781461492535-c2.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1479416-p175478101.

ITN. (2008). Philips RIS/PACS Features Improved Scheduling, Statistical Reporting. Technology. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://www.itnonline.com/content/philips-rispacs-features-improved-scheduling-statistical-reporting

Microsoft Azure. (2018). Azure Information Protection. Documentation. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/information-protection/

MSB. (2018). The System Development Life Cycle. SDLC. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1166782/files/38198507

Okoli, C & Carillo, K. (2012). The best of adaptive and predictive methodologies: Open source software development, a balance between agility and discipline. International Journal of Information Technology and Management, 11(1), pp. 153-166. Retrieved 22 May, 2018, from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220490309_The_best_of_adaptive_and_predictive_methodologies_Open_source_software_development_a_balance_between_agility_and_discipline