Overview
We were commissioned by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop an independent report to demystify cloud technology and examine its evolving role in healthcare. We partnered with the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i-HD) and worked with expert stakeholders to create a balanced and accessible narrative, explaining in non-technical terms what cloud technology is and how it can be used safely and effectively as an enabler of broader health system goals.
The resulting document has been widely used by AWS as a door-opener with European and national policymakers, helping them engage policymakers to optimise the role of cloud technology throughout the health ecosystem.
Gözde Susuzlu Briggs, ‘Data Saves Lives’, European Patients’ Forum
The challenge
We already trust cloud technology when we use email, social media or online banking. But when it comes to healthcare, most people know little about the technology’s role, and rightly wish to ensure that their data are handled with caution and due diligence.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) commissioned HPP to create an evidence-based narrative to demystify the role of cloud technology in healthcare, and explain in non-technical language what it is, and its potential role in addressing some of the biggest challenges in healthcare. AWS asked HPP to develop an independent document – built on the perspectives of patient representatives and other non-technical stakeholders – to provide them with a credible door-opener for policy engagement.
What we achieved
We worked in partnership with the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data (i-HD) to develop an engaging report that offered a balanced view of cloud technology. The report provides case studies to demonstrate the cloud’s evolving role in healthcare. It advances a model of shared responsibility between cloud service providers and users to ensure that the highest standards of data security, privacy and compliance are met, and that people’s interests are always respected.
The report was launched at the Health Information Management Systems and Solutions (HIMSS) 2023 conference in Lisbon. National versions were subsequently developed in French, Italian, Spanish, German, Turkish and Polish, and launched at different events.
Since its launch, the report has been downloaded almost 6,000 times and featured in publications including DigitalHealth and Health Tech World. We were invited by Open Access Government to develop a four-article series looking at the future of digital health and to write an article on the topic for a ’future of healthcare’ supplement in The Guardian newspaper. The report has also been shared extensively on social media, with several prominent tech leaders reposting it on LinkedIn as a ‘must read’.
Within AWS, the report has been lauded by senior leadership as an exemplar of a scalable resource, and HPP was invited to write a guest post about it on the AWS Public Sector blog. Its national iterations have allowed AWS to have fruitful policy discussions in several countries.
Project information
This report was developed by HPP with support and funding from Amazon Web Services. Please see the project page for more information.
Get in touch
If you want to find out more about our work on cloud technology, contact Suzanne Wait, Founder.
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