Multimedia Cloud Computing for Smart Hospitals - Thesis Proposal Example

An investigation into the impact of the use of multimedia cloud computing in smart hospitals Date: Multimedia cloud computing for smart hospitals Background to the study Patient information is a whole topical issue in the healthcare sector. This is because of the important role that patient information plays in the delivery of quality healthcare, as well as the dangers associated with the unethical handling of patient information (Ernst, 2010). It is against this background that several attempts have been made by hospitals in maximising the policies and programs that have to do with the proper handling of patient and hospital data. Rightly in line with the need to ensure the effective and efficient handling of information within the confines of the hospital is the concept of cloud computing, which has to do with the delivery of internet based computation, access and storage of data in a next generation platform that is distant from physical interaction with owners of the data (Kesavani, Anand and Jayakuma, 2012). This means that there can be a relationship between the need for hospitals to ensure effective handling of information and the usage of cloud computing. Research problem Very unfortunately, there is a situation where most hospitals, even so called smart hospitals have failed to achieve optimisation with the handling of information in terms of access, manipulations and storage. This situation arises due to the several known inadequacies and shortcomings with the manual handling of data within the hospitals. Meanwhile, hospital information including those for the hospital and patients are considered confidential property which is protected by both ethical professional functioning and law (Ernst, 2010). Rationale for the Study The proposed study is to be conducted with a rationale of addressing the problems associated with the ineffective handling of hospital information. More specifically, the rationale is to look at the impact of manual processing of information and how this can be replaced with a more suitable and digitised approach to information handling so as to minimise medical errors. On the other side of the argument, cloud computing can be seen as a relatively new technology, which is yet to be explored thoroughly for its merits and challenges, especially in the context of hospitals and the healthcare sector in general. Goal and objectives Based on the stated problem, the study is proposed with the goal of undertaking an exploratory research which seeks to understand the use of multimedia cloud computing in smart hospitals. To achieve this goal, the following objectives will be focused on: 1. To find the different forms and types of cloud computing platforms available to smart hospitals 2. To investigate the benefits associated with the use of multimedia cloud computing in smart hospitals 3. To understand the challenges with the use of multimedia cloud computing in smart hospitals 4. To find ways in which the shortcomings with the use of multimedia cloud computing can be mitigated to utilise the advantages of cloud computing Motivation for the study There are a number of entities who would benefit from the overall completion of the proposed study. These served as the motivation to select the current topic and to pursue it in the proposed study. In the first place, hospital staff, administrators and managers are expected to benefit from the study by understanding various ways in which they can adopt the use of cloud computing to optimise the work they undertake, especially when it comes to the handling of information. As the work of staff, administrators and managers at the hospitals is improved with efficiency and effectiveness, it is expected that patients will become the direct beneficiaries. This is because patients are the end users of the services rendered by the hospitals. The study is therefore expected to benefit patients and the general public with improved quality delivery of healthcare which guarantees patient satisfaction within the smart hospitals. Research questions 1. What different forms and types of cloud computing platforms available to smart hospitals? 2. What are the benefits associated with the use of multimedia cloud computing in smart hospitals? 3. What challenges are associated with the use of multimedia cloud computing in smart hospitals? 4. In what ways can the shortcomings with the use of multimedia cloud computing can be mitigated to utilise the advantages of cloud computing? Scope of the Study The issue of multimedia cloud computing is a very large one, which certainly cannot be fully occupied in a single study. For this reason, there is a specific scope for the concept which is expected to be covered under the proposed study. In the first place, the study will be looking into the challenges that come with the implementation of multimedia cloud technologies in hospitals. Secondly, the benefits associated with the use of multimedia cloud computing will be revealed. What is more, the scope of this study is only to cover smart hospital as these are known to have the needed technological infrastructure to carry out cloud computing programs. Definition of key concepts Smart hospital: A hospital that uses an electronic and technology based system in the handling of patient information and for the engagement of other health delivery agenda. Multimedia cloud computing technology: A storage technological system that allows multimedia data to be stored in a virtual memory where they may easily be accessed for any future usage. Patient information: These are healthcare related data collected from patients and stored within the hospital’s database for healthcare decisions about the patient. Medical error: These are adverse events that arise due to mistakes that healthcare service providers make in the healthcare delivery process including the diagnosis, management and evaluation of diseases. Background literature Clouding models and Ahirwar (2011) noted that there are three major types of clouding models, each of which seek to serve a very unique and different purpose within organisations. These are private, public and hybrid clouding computing (Sandhu and Singla, 2013). Elaborating on the types of clouding models, Warhekar and Gaikwad (2014) noted that public clouding computing depends on third party agents in the offering of cloud services. This means that organisations using this model pay for them. With private cloud computing, organisations have the right to control their own cloud systems by constructing their own platforms. Tai and Yen (2013) emphasised that the use of private clouding models is most preferred for smart hospitals given the fact that they enhance the customised control of sensitive data that must not be exposed to the public domain. In the hybrid model, public and private cloud computing are combined in a shared format. Normally, organisation using the hybrid clouding model has the luxury of deciding which data to put in the public domain and those to keep private. It would however be noted that for data security reasons, storing more sensitive data in the private cloud computing will be most suitable. Advantages with the use of cloud computing to smart hospitals When used within the healthcare industry, there are several advantages that can be derived from multimedia cloud computing. Shamily and Durga (2012) explained that multimedia cloud computing creates the opportunity for hospitals to store different multimedia content of data including audio, video, text, and image. Indeed with the complexity associated with the kinds of information that hospitals handle of late, it would be appreciated that using multimedia platforms for cloud computing comes as a versatile means of meeting information needs of the hospitals. Other advantages associated with the use of cloud computing includes cost effectiveness as cloud computing uses common infrastructure based on server, optimisation, virtualisation, mobility and automatic processing rather than physical infrastructure which are expensive to construct. The fact that cloud computing can be upgraded, is compatible with several software, consistent, promotes green technology, and enhances the use of large storage systems have all been known as part of advantages with the use of cloud computing (Kesavani, Anand and Jayakuma, 2012). To a large extent therefore, cloud computing makes information handling electronic rather than manual and thus facilitate effectiveness and efficiency. As Warhekar and Gaikwad (2014) noted, manual handling of information is marred with several human errors and adverse events. Challenges associated with the use of cloud computing within smart hospitals Regardless of the several merits and advantages associated with the use of cloud computing, some researchers have found challenges with the use of the system within the healthcare sector. For example, Khan and Ahirwar (2011) stressed that decision on service selection can be a major dilemma for hospitals. It will be noted that several mobile companies offer cloud services, each of which come with their own packages. Wrong selection of a service type could affect the quality usage of the system. Again, Shamily and Durga (2012) indicated that cloud computing is prone to inside attacks. This happens when a person within the organisation illegally gains access to the cloud system and steals media content for personal usage or gain. Insiders who could possibly be involved in such actions include employees (Satyanarayanan, 2009). There continues to be evolving legal and privacy issues that limit the use of cloud computing within some quarters of professional organisations (Sandhu and Singla, 2013). Tai and Yen (2013) also touched on the issue of challenges with standards and stressed that there are several cloud computing systems that are too new to have any history of having withstood quality and standard obligations. Research design The proposed study will take place as a qualitative research which will seek to explore the usage of multimedia cloud computing within smart hospitals. To ensure that there is a better focus on smart hospitals, multimedia cloud computing and the objectives that have been set, the research will take place as a case study research design. Gerrish and Lacey (2013) explained a case study as a research in which a unique problem or issue is identified within a research setting and thoroughly studied through the collection of data. In the context of the proposed study, the research setting is the smart hospitals whiles the issue or problem is the handling of information and how multimedia cloud computers help in curbing the problem. The rationale for selecting case study is in it in-depth advantage where it allows the researcher to go very deep into exploring and understanding the issues, just as the provisions of qualitative research allows (Clifford & Clark, 2004). Population, sample and stakeholders The study is proposed to be conducted in a number of smart hospitals, hopefully ten of such smart hospitals within a confined locality. Within these smart hospitals, two groups of populations will be used. These are patients and staff. It is expected that there will as many people within these two populations as possible. Because of this, a sample size will be formed to an average of 20 patients and 2 staff members are expected to be included in the sample. This will become sizeable number of people from whom the researcher can easily encounter and engage in data collection. The approach to creating the sample size is expected to be exclusively through random sampling technique. This means that all people within the population shall have an equal chance of becoming part of the sample size (Gerrish and Lacey, 2013). Clifford & Clark (2004) praised the random sampling technique for avoiding bias in the selection process and promoting fairness in the overall conduct of the study. Research instrument and Data collection procedure There shall be two major data collection instruments and procedures, based on the different samples that will be used in the study. From the patients, the researcher shall use a questionnaire to collect data about their perceived influence of the use of multimedia cloud computing on customer satisfaction. This will be done as part of ways of achieving the objective of knowing the advantages of multimedia cloud computing. From the staff, the researcher shall use an interview to collect data pertaining to the different types of multimedia cloud computing platforms they use, the challenges associated with the usage, and strategies put in place in solving the identified challenges. After collecting data, the researcher shall explore different procedures to analysing data, particularly through the use of discourse analysis and content analysis. Limitations and constraints A major limitation that may be faced in the conduct of the study has to do with access to information. In most academic research of this nature, targeted stakeholders tend to get a feeling that participating in the study will expose the weaknesses and flaws associated with their administration. To overcome this limitation, a consent form that explains the rationale for the study and guarantees respondents that no such disadvantages will be suffered by them will be prepared. References 1. Clifford, C. & Clark, J. (2004). Getting research into practice. Churchill Livingstone, London. 2. Ernst, E. (2010). Deaths after chiropractic: a review of published cases, Int J Clinical Practice 64(8), 1162–1165 3. Gerrish, K and Lacey, A. (2013). The Research Process in Academic Research. Texas: Wiley. Kindle Edition. 4. Kesavani, S., Anand, J. and Jayakuma, J. (2012). ‘Controlled multimedia cloud architecture and advantages’. Advanced Computing: An International Journal. Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 29-45 5. Khan A. and Ahirwar K. K. (2011). ‘Mobile cloud computing as a future of mobile multimedia database’. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technologies, Vol. 5 (1), pp. 219-221. 6. Sandhu M. S. and Singla S. (2013). ‘An Approach to Enhanced Security of Multimedia Data Model Technology Based on Cloud Computing’. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering. Vol. 3 No. 7, pp. 724-729. 7. Satyanarayanan M et al. (2009). ‘The case for VM-based cloudlets in mobile computing’, IEEE Pervasive Computing, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 14–23. 8. Shamily P. B and Durga S. (2012). ‘A Review on Multimedia Cloud Computing, its Advantages and Challenges’. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Engineering & Technology. Vol. 1 No. 10, pp. 130-134. 9. Tai J. C. and Yen, N. Y. (2013). ‘Cloud-Empowered Multimedia Service: An Automatic Video Storytelling Tool’. Journal of Convergence. Vol. 4 No. 3, 13-20 10. Warhekar S. P. and Gaikwad V.T. (2014). ‘Implementing Mobile Multimedia Applications Using Cloud Computing’. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technologies, Vol. 5 (1) , pp. 2014, 230-232. Read More