Source: Hitachi Data Systems, Author Dave Wilson. 

Ultimately there are certain minimum requirements that providers need to consider when evaluating a healthcare cloud provider:  security, high availability, standards-based data management, scalability, remote access, and contractual assurance.  Without these considerations, providers will put their services at risk and fail to realize the full potential of cloud technology.

Security

To overcome current perceptions of the risks associated with using the cloud for personal health information, cloud providers must demonstrate security measures that prevent unauthorized access to patient data. With security comes privacy. Consideration must be given to the following:

• Secure access to the facility
• Network security
• Data security
• Staff training and regulatory compliance awareness