The use of DevOps has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. It is a method of software development that involves collaboration between different teams and focuses on delivering high quality output quickly. This approach has fundamentally changed the way in which software is created and managed.
DevOps is a methodology that utilizes automation and agile practices to facilitate the rapid delivery of IT services. The use of DevOps toolchains can not only improve inter-departmental communication and efficiency, but can also provide further benefits.
DevOps’ innovative features and efficient processes are extremely beneficial in the healthcare sector. Additionally, the industry is increasingly recognizing the value of intelligent and tech-savvy programmed for hospital management.
The modern healthcare landscape requires providers to be more responsive and accessible to their patients. To meet this demand, many providers have adopted services such as reminder emails and text message follow-ups into their back-end operations.
Narus Health and Diameter Health are leveraging DevOps to provide an optimal end-to-end user experience. They are responsible for the upkeep, troubleshooting and implementation of healthcare systems, and are utilizing AWS cloud-based solutions to ensure 24/7 support for these activities.
The benefits of using DevOps in the healthcare industry
DevOps offers many advantages which make it an ideal solution for the healthcare sector, where fast and efficient solutions are essential to ensure optimum performance.
Boosting Participation
Healthcare organizations that have adopted CI/CD pipelines have often seen improvements in the functionality and usability of their products and services. Examples of features that could potentially increase patient satisfaction include self-check-in systems, allowing for a faster processing of patients, and computerised prescription fulfilment, which enables patients to acquire drugs even if they are not present.
The healthcare provider caters to the needs of their patients, providing accessible and effective medical treatment. Furthermore, they offer the option of automatic appointments set up by doctors, ensuring service quality is maintained while also increasing operational efficiency.
Information Administration
A data-driven approach is the most effective way of creating solutions that are both effective and cost-effective. Utilising data to gain insights can improve productivity and give businesses a competitive edge. However, hospitals can generate large volumes of data that can exceed existing methods of analysis.
DevOps toolchains enable healthcare professionals to effectively manage and leverage data from multiple sources, including laboratories, pharmacies, medical device reports, electronic health records (EHRs), wearable devices, and insurance claims, through the use of data pipelines and big data applications.
The automation of programming
By integrating automation into existing systems, DevOps practices enable healthcare providers to create superior applications. This provides them with the ability to effectively manage resources and meet service level agreements. Additionally, standardized processes ensure a smooth deployment and fast feature release.
Data Protection and Observance of Laws
The incorporation of an “infrastructure as code” methodology at the core of DevOps enables healthcare providers to embed security best practices directly into individual application components. This practice is referred to as DevSecOps.
By utilizing this method, we can create a pipeline while also conducting a vulnerability analysis. This allows the development and deployment teams to identify and fix any security flaws before they become an issue. Additionally, access to sensitive data is only granted to authorized users and computers in accordance with the principle of ‘least privilege’.
Considerations for Healthcare DevOps
In recent years, the healthcare sector has adopted DevOps at an accelerated rate due to the multiple benefits it provides. As of now, 73% of healthcare IT departments have selected DevOps as their development methodology.
Healthcare organizations can improve their DevOps approach through the implementation of DevOps and agile development frameworks. These models use analytics to identify issues and suggest potential solutions, while also promoting communication and fostering trust between team members.
Test automation should be a priority for your company. Automated testing (including acceptance, unit and functional tests) and the collection of related data and metrics are essential to ensure the quality and efficiency of your programmes. Automated metrics can be used to improve code quality.
DevOps in Healthcare: How to Get Started
Preparation
In order to successfully implement the DevOps methodology, it is essential to begin with a comprehensive strategy phase. This involves analyzing the existing operational and development processes and making the necessary adjustments. Additionally, it is important to carefully audit inventory, software rules, security standards, as well as technical and human resources. Furthermore, task management and scheduling meetings between teams may be required.
On-going incorporation
The CI server is responsible for pushing all system updates and new code modules to the master repository. This facilitates collaboration and reuse of code across teams, and helps to reduce the risk of any unexpected issues.
Ongoing Verifications
The functionality of the shared repository is regularly tested to ensure it is working correctly. If the results of the tests are positive, the process will move forward. Should the tests be unsuccessful or inconclusive, the system will attempt to identify the cause of the issue by referencing a large database of error messages.
The aim of this is to assess whether the identified fault is widespread. If it is a new mistake, the software will log the details and raise an incident. The issue has been forwarded to the development team, who can then use an incident tracker to monitor the situation.
A persistent rollout
Once the code has been successfully tested, it can be released to either the live system or the development system, depending on the company’s protocol. This allows for regular and rapid updates to be made to the code.
Constant monitoring and response
Monitoring software regularly ensures it operates optimally. Any issues detected are reported to development and operations teams, with an incident created and communicated straight away. The system also stores analytics on the number of incidents.
For the duration of this paper
It is pleasing to observe that the healthcare sector has embraced DevOps as a response to the current difficulties. There is a great deal of pressure on the healthcare industry to produce results without compromising patient welfare or the stability of the system.
By implementing DevOps, healthcare organizations can optimize patient care by minimizing downtime and enhancing accessibility. Taking this step will help guarantee high-quality, reliable treatment for patients in the digital era.
