Google Cloud Launches Healthcare API During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As the needs of organizations evolve rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Google Cloud developed a healthcare API to address care gaps.
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By - Google Cloud recently announced it created a Cloud Healthcare API to improve data interoperability and give providers real-time access to health data during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The API will allow for healthcare organizations to manage data from various health systems and ensures safe and effective provider-data interaction using web-friendly, REST-based endpoints and health plans.
Health plans will be able to run a cloud-based FHIR server, providing capabilities needed to implement, scale, and support interoperability and patient access, the announcement stated.
The healthcare API has already been implemented at the Mayo Clinic but will soon be available to the industry at-large.
"We’re in a time where technology needs to work fast, securely, and most importantly in a way that furthers our dedication to our patients. Google Cloud’s Healthcare API accelerates data liquidity among stakeholders, and in-return, will help us better serve our patients,” John Halamka, MD, president of Mayo Clinic Platform said in the announcement.
Because of complex siloed systems in healthcare environments, healthcare and life science organizations leveraging FHIR, HL7v2, and DICOM, find that it takes an immense amount of effort to view the resources.
The Cloud Healthcare API makes it as simple as possible to help Google Cloud and its partner ecosystem to make informed, data-driven decisions, so that caregivers can focus on patient care, especially during COVID-19.
Google Cloud is also working with Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps Platform, and other groups across Alphabet in order to allow organizations, researchers, and patients to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
These solutions mentioned include:
· Virtual care and telehealth services
· Collaboration capabilities for remote work
· 24/7 conversational self-service support
· High-demand public health datasets
· Virtualization of essential services
· Google Cloud research credits
Virtual care will ensure patient safety is stored in an accessible place using laptops, tablets, or smartphones, all while maintaining data security and HIPAA compliance.
Virtual care will also allow organizations to connect with colleagues to further current projects.
Healthcare organizations can locate vital equipment, provide site locations, give patients directions, and route medical deliveries to recipients using Google Maps Platform in conjunction with COVID-19 datasets, the announcement highlighted.
“We announced a new initiative with HCA Healthcare and SADA, called the National Response Portal, to help U.S. hospital systems better track important data on ventilator utilization, ICU bed capacity, COVID-19 testing results and more,” Google stated.
As a part of its 24/7 conversational initiative, Google Cloud launched a Rapid Response Virtual Agent to help organizations provide quick responses to patients during the pandemic.
Lastly, Google is offering organizations to study COVID-19 with public datasets. Organizations may also apply for research credits to receive funding for projects related to potential treatments, techniques, and datasets.
“Although we’re still in the early days of this fight, the stronger we work together as businesses, organizations, and communities, the better we’re able to secure positive outcomes. We’re here to help, and we have teams working closely with healthcare organizations across the country to support the unique needs that are emerging in response to COVID-19,” Google concluded.
“We’re amazed by the global response we’ve seen to date, and are humbled by the opportunity to continue to play a key part in helping healthcare organizations deliver care during the pandemic.”
