Healthcare industry analysts agree: The future of healthcare is in the cloud. According to an Accenture study, about 32 percent of healthcare organizations use some form of cloud computing, closely matching other industries. Digital modernization in healthcare means that every Epic electronic health records (EHR) installation will eventually move to the public cloud. While Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been a popular choice, Microsoft Azure is emerging as a powerful alternative for hosting Epic EHR.
What is Epic on Azure?
Epic on Azure involves migrating the Epic EHR system to Microsoft Azure’s infrastructure as a service (IaaS) rather than hosting the application on-premises or other hosting options. Traditionally, hospitals manage Epic software in their own data centers. However, many healthcare organizations are now moving parts of their Epic systems to Azure, adopting a hybrid model where on-premises data centers and Azure share the task of running Epic.
Migrating to Azure is a significant project with costs potentially in the millions and timelines measured in years. However, Epic’s modular nature allows for phased migration, starting with non-production modules like disaster recovery or testing, minimizing disruption while familiarizing IT staff with cloud operations.
Why Epic on Azure?
Running Epic on Azure provides several advantages, including cost savings, increased reliability, and enhanced innovation. Azure offers affordable, scalable storage and compute resources, reducing the need for significant capital investments in hardware. Additionally, Azure's global infrastructure improves the reliability and availability of the Epic system, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous patient care.
The Benefits of Epic on Azure
Cost Reduction
Data centers require significant capital investments in hardware and software. Moving to Azure eliminates these costs, as you only pay for the resources you use. Azure's pay-as-you-go model allows for efficient budget management, freeing up financial resources for clinical and patient care improvements.
Enhanced Reliability
Azure is known for its robust, reliable infrastructure, reducing the risk of system outages that can compromise patient care. Azure’s global network ensures high availability and disaster recovery capabilities, crucial for maintaining continuous healthcare operations.
Innovation Facilitation
Azure empowers healthcare organizations to innovate by providing flexible, scalable environments for development and testing. Developers can quickly spin up new environments without IT involvement, fostering a culture of innovation and rapid iteration.
Disaster Recovery
Azure’s comprehensive disaster recovery solutions ensure that the entire Epic ecosystem, including co-traveler applications, remains available during emergencies. Azure’s multiple data centers allow for seamless backup and quick recovery, ensuring business continuity.
Improved Resilience
Azure provides advanced security measures, including read-only replicas of Epic data, which can be accessed during ransomware attacks. This ensures clinicians can continue providing care even during security incidents, enhancing the overall resilience of healthcare operations.
Scalability
Azure's scalable infrastructure allows healthcare organizations to handle fluctuations in demand without significant capital investments. This flexibility ensures that Epic systems can adapt to changing circumstances, such as increased patient loads during pandemics.
Data Security
Azure’s shared responsibility model simplifies data security, with Azure managing the physical infrastructure and software components. This focus on security ensures that healthcare data is protected by best-in-class cybersecurity measures, reducing the burden on healthcare IT teams.
The Challenges of Migrating Epic to Azure
While moving Epic to Azure offers numerous benefits, it is not without challenges. The complexity of migrating a highly integrated system like Epic, the need for specialized cloud skills, cultural shifts within IT teams, and effective cost management are all factors to consider.
Complexity
Migrating Epic involves managing numerous interconnected applications and vendors, requiring meticulous planning and coordination.
Expertise
The cloud skills shortage means that healthcare organizations may need to invest in training or seek external expertise to ensure a smooth transition and secure cloud environment.
Cultural Change
Adapting to cloud operations requires a shift in how IT teams manage and optimize applications, necessitating internal cultural changes and potential resistance from staff.
Cost Management
Initial migration costs can be high, and effective cost management is crucial to avoid unexpected expenses. Consulting with knowledgeable managed service providers (MSPs) can help optimize cloud usage and minimize costs.
Next Steps
The migration of Epic Systems software to the cloud is inevitable and beneficial for healthcare organizations. To ensure a successful transition, partnering with experienced MSPs like Cloudticity, who specialize in healthcare IT, is essential. Schedule a free consultation with Cloudticity today to begin your journey to Epic on Azure.
