Epic in the Public Cloud: Scalability and Satisfaction on the Rise, But Challenges Remain

KLAS: Public Cloud Vendor Overview

What You Should Know: 

– Over the past few years, healthcare organizations have increasingly turned to public cloud providers like AWS and Microsoft Azure to host their Epic electronic health record (EHR) systems. Driven by the promise of scalability, cost savings, and improved performance, this trend shows no signs of slowing down. 

– A new report from KLAS Research provides an updated look at the viability of Epic in the public cloud, highlighting both successes and ongoing challenges.

Scalability Concerns Ease as Large Organizations Report Success

One of the primary concerns for healthcare organizations, particularly large health systems, has been the ability of public cloud platforms to handle the demanding scalability requirements of Epic. However, the KLAS report reveals that large organizations running Epic in full production environments on AWS and Azure are reporting positive experiences with cloud reliability and scalability. These organizations cite smooth service with minimal interruptions and highlight scalability as a key benefit of cloud adoption.

AWS Leads in Satisfaction, Driven by Technology and Support

While both AWS and Azure receive praise for their technology, AWS customers report higher overall satisfaction. They particularly appreciate the speed of the AWS platform and the strong support provided by the vendor. AWS is lauded for its proactive planning, cost projections, and willingness to go above and beyond for its customers.

However, some AWS customers feel there is room for improvement in supporting interoperability with other solutions and optimizing cloud costs.

Azure customers, while appreciating the platform itself, report more inconsistent support experiences. Many cite a lack of knowledge among first-tier support resources regarding the complexities of Azure, leading some to purchase higher-tier support or rely on third-party firms.

Cost Savings Remain Elusive, But Other Benefits Realized

Healthcare organizations often migrate to the cloud with the expectation of reducing costs. However, most respondents in the KLAS report indicate that their cloud solutions are as expensive or slightly more expensive than their previous on-premises environments. That said, they do expect to eventually achieve savings related to infrastructure and IT staffing.

Despite the lack of immediate cost savings, organizations are realizing other benefits from their cloud deployments, including:

Increased scalability, flexibility, and reliability: These are the most commonly cited benefits by both AWS and Azure customers.Improved disaster recovery: The majority of organizations leverage the cloud for Epic disaster recovery, often as a first step in their cloud migration journey.Enhanced performance: AWS customers, in particular, report improvements in response time and reliability.

Integration and Expertise Remain Key Challenges

The report identifies two significant challenges for organizations running Epic in the cloud:

Integration with other solutions: Integrating Epic with other critical systems, such as lab systems, PACS, and security platforms, can be complex.Lack of internal cloud expertise: Many organizations lack the in-house expertise needed to effectively manage and optimize their cloud environments.

Providers Turning to Third-Party Firms for Cloud Planning

To address these challenges, many organizations are turning to third-party firms for assistance with cloud planning, assessment, migration, and ongoing support. As public cloud platforms continue to mature and healthcare organizations gain more experience with cloud deployments, it’s likely that we’ll see further improvements in scalability, cost-effectiveness, and overall satisfaction. However, organizations must carefully consider their needs and challenges, and leverage the expertise of both cloud providers and third-party consultants to ensure a successful transition to the cloud.

For more information about the KLAS report, visit https://klasresearch.com/report/epic-in-the-public-cloud-2024-are-aws-and-microsoft-azure-meeting-the-expectations-of-early-adopters/3575