Salesforce Health Cloud is a version of Salesforce designed for the healthcare and life sciences industry.
Instead of just being a CRM for sales and service, it’s built to handle patient, member, provider, and partner relationships in a healthcare setting.
Key Features of Health Cloud:
- 360° Patient/Member View
Combines clinical data (from EHRs), claims, and social determinants of health into one record. - Care Coordination
Lets care teams collaborate on treatment plans, assign tasks, and track progress. - Patient & Member Engagement
Provides secure portals, apps, and messaging for patients to interact with providers or payers. - Integration with EHRs & Systems
Works with electronic health records (EHRs) and other healthcare IT systems for unified data. - Analytics & AI (Einstein for Health Cloud)
Identifies at-risk patients, recommends next-best actions, and helps reduce readmissions. - Compliance & Security
Built with HIPAA compliance and healthcare regulations in mind.
Who Uses It?
- Providers (hospitals, clinics, doctors) patient engagement and coordinated care.
- Payers (insurance companies) manage members, authorizations, and case management.
- Pharma & MedTech manage clinical trials, patient support, and field service.
In short, Health Cloud is Salesforce’s healthcare-focused CRM that moves beyond sales tracking to enable better patient and member care experiences.
How does Health Cloud compare to a traditional EHR (like Epic or Cerner)?
Health Cloud vs. Traditional EHR (like Epic or Cerner)
| Feature | Salesforce Health Cloud | EHR (Epic, Cerner, etc.) |
| Primary Purpose | Patient relationship management, engagement, care coordination | Clinical documentation, charting, medical history |
| Focus | Improves patient experience and care team collaboration | Stores and manages medical records |
| Data | Combines EHR data + claims + social determinants + engagement history | Strictly clinical data (labs, vitals, diagnoses, prescriptions) |
| Users | Care coordinators, case managers, patient engagement teams, insurance reps | Doctors, nurses, clinical staff |
| Strengths | CRM functionality, 360° patient view, patient/member engagement portals, AI insights | Deep clinical functionality, physician workflows, compliance for medical records |
| Limitations | Doesn’t replace an EHR, it complements it | Weak on patient engagement and relationship management |
Think of it this way: EHR = the “medical chart,” Health Cloud = the “patient relationship and care journey manager.”
How It’s Used by Insurance Companies and Hospitals
1. Hospitals & Providers
- Unified patient profile across systems (EHR + other data sources).
- Care plan management (assign tasks to nurses, social workers, family caregivers).
- Appointment reminders and secure messaging.
- Tracking patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Example: A patient with diabetes might have their clinical data from Epic integrated into Health Cloud, where the care team uses it to manage follow-ups, check social factors (diet, transportation), and engage with the patient via portal or text.
2. Insurance & Payers
- Manage member journeys (enrollment, onboarding, claims issues).
- Automate prior authorizations and utilization management.
- Member outreach campaigns (wellness, chronic disease management).
- AI-driven recommendations for preventative care.
Example: An insurance company could use Health Cloud to identify members at high risk of hospital readmission, then proactively connect them to case managers who guide them through follow-up care.
So EHR = clinical core, Health Cloud = patient/member engagement & relationship layer.
Hospitals use it to improve patient care coordination, while insurance companies use it to improve member services and reduce costs.
Here is a visual diagram showing how Salesforce Health Cloud acts as the hub, connecting EHRs and payer systems to the patient/member for engagement and care coordination.
