Cloud Computing in the Development of Medical Sciences Education: A Review Study

Cloud computing, a computational model based on computer networks similar the Internet, revolutionizes the provision, consumption, and delivery of computing services by leveraging network utilization. The objective of this study is to comprehensively analyze the existing research literature regarding the implementation of cloud computing in enhancing higher education in the field of medical sciences. Conducted as a systematic review, this study extensively utilized indexed articles sourced from renowned scientific databases such as SID, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct. The selected research texts spanned the period from 2012 to the end of 2022. The search process focused on key terms and phrases including cloud computing, development of higher education, and epidemics as they appeared in the titles of the articles. By categorizing nine influential factors into three divisions based on library resources, namely technological infrastructure (including reliability, security, accessibility, and adaptability), outsourcing (involving cloud service providers and negotiations of service-level agreements), and internal management (comprising guidelines, policies, planning teams, and superior management), the study offers valuable insights into the implementation of cloud computing. Furthermore, future studies that validate these factors across various higher education institutions can significantly enhance the meaningfulness of examining cloud computing based on university experience. Finally, this study has the possible to serve as an appreciated resource for embracing cloud computing within the realm of mobile learning or mobile computing in the domain of medical sciences.