The current healthcare landscape is characterised on one hand by higher expectations for a better quality of care, and pressure from management to reduce costs on the other.
In the midst of this balancing act is the constant threat of data breaches, which ironically deplete the limited budget being monitored. This means that the healthcare industry is increasingly coming to understand the important role that IT plays in the delivery of cost-effective, better quality care, and many organisations take advantage of this by transferring operations from traditional systems to cloud-based systems.
One of the most effective ways for organisations to achieve this transfer of operations has been to adopt Google’s Chrome Enterprise and Chrome devices. Google’s Chrome Enterprise tools are a set of tools within the Google Admin Console which allow users to manage Chromebooks and other Chrome OS devices.
Health organisations, for example, have taken to Chrome OS in swathes, as a result of its speed, security and capability for integration with critical virtualisation solutions. Some organisations (Middlesex hospital and Chapters health system, for example) rely on Chrome Enterprise for securely connecting to the Cloud and connecting staff to data-driven systems, keeping the focus on delivering great patient care.
Bringing Chrome OS to healthcare organizations
The benefits of Chrome OS to the healthcare industry are far-reaching, positively affecting staff, patients and visitors alike. Chrome OS offers versatility across a range of clinical hardware from self-service kiosks to shared workstations, while Chrome devices offer varying formats and price points fitting a wide range of use cases. Some ways the healthcare industry can benefit from Chrome Enterprise include:
Freedom from fixed workstations
While durable, traditional systems have been found to be cumbersome, costly, and slow to run usually owing to the amount of data stored on hospital networks. Chromebooks allow staff access to apps and cloud-based clinical software without the need to be tethered to a fixed workstation. Consequently, staff are able to work away from traditional workstations, spending more of their time closer to their patients.
Connected operations
With the ability to share devices, Chrome devices make training programs more accessible to staff, ultimately improving operational efficiency. Because cloud-based resources lower the cost of ownership of IT systems, budgets can be kept on a rein without sacrificing quality or data security. One hospital found that transitioning to Chrome devices helped them store data more securely, as sensitive patient information was now stored in the cloud, rather than on the portable devices.
More control for patients
Technological conveniences delivered through a variety of platforms are increasingly expected in healthcare organisations by staff, visitors and patients alike. Chrome-powered kiosks and digital signages help give patients control while keeping staff and visitors informed, either on single screens or on connected networks. Patients can be easily kept aware of appointment times with self-serve kiosks and user-friendly digital signage.
Chrome kiosks and digital signage devices are not just affordable, but also reliable, user-friendly and multiple devices can be updated instantly from a central location.
If you want to see more about what Chrome Enterprise can do, get in touch with one of our Google experts.