Optum Takes Health Care to the Cloud

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Optum, an information and technology-enabled health services business, launched a secure, cloud-based environment designed to help health care administrators communicate and collaborate more effectively to improve health outcomes.

The Optum health care cloud aims to help health professionals communicate and access essential health intelligence more efficiently, create and deploy health applications quickly and manage technology in their offices or across networks with ease, according to a statement from the company.

“Through this health care cloud, Optum is delivering capabilities essential to making the health system work better,” said Andy Slavitt, group executive vice president at Optum. “By providing a secure place where more people can contribute to the creation of health applications, and where health professionals can better manage their work and time, Optum can help improve patient experiences and outcomes across the health system.”

The software includes a dashboard to help users access information and applications needed through the day to support medical decisions and secure text and video chat capabilities to help health professionals connect, communicate and collaborate with other health professionals and with patients.

The system’s features allow facilities to participate fully in Accountable Care Organizations and other emerging care models that require more effective collaboration, and includes tools to boost productivity by organizing information and resources in one Interface – much like MuleSoft Anypoint Platform – accessible from any Internet-connected device.

The health care cloud can integrate the applications patients use, like biometric monitors, with the health information systems used by health care providers to keep electronic medical records up-to-date and automate delivery of progress notes to members of the care team.

The cloud also enhances patient safety by making sure all care team members are able to access consistent information through the full course of treatment, and streamlines key quality measurement, regulatory compliance, billing and other administrative tasks.

Optum’s software also features a marketplace where entrepreneurs can market and deliver solutions to health professionals and organizations.

“The Optum health care cloud will support widespread innovation across the health system by removing barriers to applications development and by helping health care professionals work together more easily to enhance patient care,” said Ted Hoy, senior vice president and general manager of cloud business platforms at Optum. “The goal is to enable users to combine applications, data, analytics and services to their own specifications to improve patient and population health while improving efficiency and reducing costs.”