How Cloud-Based Identity Can Drive Cost Savings and Greater Efficiencies in UK Healthcare and Pharma

Introduction

Healthcare in the UK has traditionally lagged most other industries in terms of technology adoption. Many hospitals, GP practices and other organisations still rely on paper records, handwritten notes, siloed data stores and IT systems, and even film-based radiology images. Information sharing across providers can be inefficient and data portability rare. It’s not unusual to see many NHS providers rely on outdated communication platforms, and collaboration and coordination of care processes is a challenge.

However, things have already changed dramatically over recent years, and digital transformation is increasingly at the centre of government efforts to cut costs and boost efficiencies while improving the delivery of key services. NHS Digital is tasked with driving this change and has an ambitious target of turning the entire health service paperless by 2020.

It claims that better use of data and technology can:

• Give patients more control over their health and well-being

• Empower carers

• Reduce the administrative burden for care professionals

• Support the development of new medicines and treatments

It’s also important to remember the crucial role that pharmaceutical companies play in the UK healthcare ecosystem. They’re a key collaborative partner to many healthcare organisations (HCOs), exchanging highly sensitive patient data to facilitate important clinical trials for new medicines and treatments, as well providing patients with useful info on how to manage their conditions. New digital technologies have made this information sharing and management easier, but also expose both sides to greater cyber-related risk.

In the rush to streamline processes and empower patients by migr