Datica Health, which offers cloud compliance management services, and Sansoro Health, developer of integration and interoperity technologies, announced their merger this week.

WHY IT MATTERS
Together, the companies will offer a self-service platform for secure cloud-based apps and digital health tools, while also enabling integration of patient data from multiple sources, the companies said.

With the deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, the combined company will be called Datica and be headquartered in Minneapolis. Sansoro chief executive Jeremy Pierotti will be CEO, while Datica's co-founder and CEO Dr. Travis Good will be chief technology officer.

In a blog post, they noted that the two companies had each seen firsthand the compliance and data integration challenges faced by cloud app developers.

"Digital health software engineers string together multiple tools to meet HIPAA compliance needs and wrestle with data exchange using HL7v2, X.12, DICOM, FHIR, proprietary APIs, and everything in between,” the companies said.

With the merger, they said, the combined platform will enable customers to "adopt any cloud service while securely integrating patient data from any source, all in a secure and compliant manner. We have integrated tools that support HITRUST compliance and EHR integration, with end-to-end security in the cloud."

THE LARGER TREND
Whatever skepticism the healthcare industry might have traditionally had about the cloud has dissipated, as the industry has moved in recent years to embrace remote hosting. Datica points to research showing that cloud investments will more than double from $24 billion in 2019 to $55 billion in 2025, and notes that more than 88 percent of companies are using multiple clouds.

As they do, these organizations are enabling substantial clinical innovation and finding big financial gains.

ON THE RECORD
Still, for app developers, more basic challenges of security compliance and data integration remain.

“There are staggering hurdles to bringing advanced digital health solutions to market,” said Pierotti. "Our combined company offers a complete, scalable platform to meet these challenges and enable data-driven healthcare in the cloud.”

Good added that with the Datica platform can help streamline "previously cumbersome development processes," leading to "enhanced, secure solutions at lower cost and with greater speed to market."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com

Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.