How Can Application Modernization Transform Healthcare IT Systems?

June 20, 2024
How Can Application Modernization Transform Healthcare IT Systems?

Healthcare today relies heavily on a range of digitally connected services, encompassing electronic health records (EHR), telehealth systems, backend scheduling, monitoring, analytics, and workforce management tools. These diverse applications exist in vastly different states of modernization, from those updated weekly to others running decades-old code on unsupported mainframes. To optimize care delivery and operational efficiency, organizations need a comprehensive understanding of where applications are running, how they can run better, how they depend on each other, and whether they have the capacity to scale. This intricate process is known as application modernization, and it is critical for enabling the ongoing digital transformation of hospitals and health systems.

1. Evaluate Applications

The first step in the journey of application modernization involves a rigorous assessment of existing applications against modernization goals. Organizations must create a comprehensive roadmap that outlines which applications will be updated, which ones will remain in their current state, and which may need to be decommissioned. This roadmap helps manage expectations by providing clear timelines and objectives. “Any organization can reap the benefits of adopting a modernization roadmap,” states Chuck DeVries, senior vice president and technology officer at Vizient. This planning phase includes evaluating staffing needs, cost implications, and compliance issues, which are essential to prevent unexpected delays and complications.

During this assessment phase, two critical considerations come into focus. Firstly, the link between modernization and sustainability becomes apparent as applications move to more efficient cloud-based servers. Modernized applications not only perform better but also contribute to an organization’s environmental goals. Secondly, cybersecurity must be a prominent focus. As Brendan Fowkes, global industry technology leader for healthcare at IBM, notes, “You might have an application running software underneath that’s been unsupported for three years. Do you even know where the holes are?” Identifying such vulnerabilities early in the process is essential for building secure and resilient systems.

2. Transfer to the Cloud

Once the assessment stage is complete, the next crucial step is migrating applications to the cloud. This phase includes moving mission-critical applications, which can significantly improve security, performance, and agility. Forrester research commissioned by Microsoft reveals that organizations report enhanced security, better performance, and greater agility post-cloud migration. Cloud-based systems make it easier for organizations to implement new features and scale their operations, thanks to microservices that allow engineering teams to build, test, and deploy components independently.

“The cloud provides an environment where applications can be more adaptable and resilient,” says Jenn Roth, product marketing director of data and AI platform for healthcare at Microsoft. This adaptability is especially critical for mission-critical EHR and imaging systems, which have often been highly customized for specific business needs. While customization can improve performance, it becomes a double-edged sword, making these systems harder to update, migrate, or secure. Migrating these applications to the cloud enables healthcare organizations to embrace digital transformation more fully, improving their ability to respond to changing business and patient needs.

3. Enhance with New Technologies

Enhancing applications with modern technologies that were previously unavailable to legacy systems is a vital step in the application modernization process. This includes incorporating containers, which allow for deploying a single application in multiple environments, and leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for analyzing large data sets. Additionally, automation tools play a crucial role in both the deployment and ongoing monitoring of applications, ensuring that they continue to operate efficiently over time.

A frequently asked question in this phase is whether to migrate (rehost) or update (replatform) an application first. Rehosting can result in immediate cost savings and compatibility with on-premises applications, making it a tempting option for many organizations. On the other hand, replatforming tends to speed up the time to market, enabling quicker deployment of new features and functionality. “The goal is to achieve a balance between the two, capitalizing on the strengths of each approach to suit the organization’s specific needs,” says Roth. This phase is about strategically enhancing applications to make them more efficient and effective, thereby contributing to a seamless healthcare IT environment.

4. Continuous Optimization

In today’s healthcare landscape, the reliance on a variety of digitally connected services is paramount. These services include electronic health records (EHR), telehealth systems, backend scheduling, patient monitoring, analytics, and workforce management tools. These applications vary widely in their state of modernization; some are updated frequently, while others still operate on outdated and unsupported mainframe systems that have been around for decades. For healthcare organizations to improve care delivery and operational efficiency, they must have a thorough understanding of where their applications are running, how they can be optimized, how they interact with one another, and their scalability.

This complex yet essential process is referred to as application modernization. By modernizing applications, healthcare systems can better harness the benefits of ongoing digital transformation efforts. This ensures that hospitals and health systems are equipped to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector. Modernization not only improves the efficiency of care delivery but also helps in managing operational challenges more effectively. Therefore, understanding and implementing application modernization is critical for healthcare providers aiming to stay current and efficient in an increasingly digital world.

Subscribe to our weekly news digest.

Join now and become a part of our fast-growing community.

Invalid Email Address
Thanks for subscribing.
We'll be sending you our best soon.
Something went wrong, please try again later