CHICAGO June 30, 2004 - When it comes to investment in networking solutions for healthcare information technology, data security (67 percent) and productivity gains (60 percent) rank as major factors, according to respondents of the 2004 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Networking Technology Survey, sponsored by Cisco Systems and supported by the HIMSS Foundation. Compliance with governmental regulations (54 percent) and expected operational cost savings (53 percent) were also identified among the top four reasons for technology expenditures.
Most respondents indicated that a combination of factors, usually four of the choices identified above, influenced their investment in technology. The survey was administered at the 2004 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in February 2004 in Orlando, Fla.
"The survey results demonstrate that many different factors affect a provider's decision to invest in healthcare IT," said Joyce Sensmeier, RN, CPHIMS and HIMSS director of professional services. "Many healthcare organizations look at networking solutions in terms of patient needs and productivity enhancements, so it makes sense that securing data and increasing efficiency should be among the top priorities when allocating budget dollars for IT investments."
Information technology seen as a benefit in healthcare delivery: The survey results also indicate that the benefits that networking solutions can provide to an organization are well-documented and accepted. Improving staff productivity and reducing operating costs were each identified by respondents as benefits for the various networking technologies included in the survey. Conversely, only 31 percent of the respondents said that determining productivity needs was a consideration in technology investments.
Most important technology solutions and investment priorities: As the use and importance of information technology escalates among healthcare organizations, network security, wireless networks, and mobile device technologies were identified as both the most important solutions and investment priorities for their organizations, according to these respondents.
"These findings validate what our customers say are their key care abouts - namely, network security and privacy; increased productivity; operational efficiency and cost reduction; and reducing medical errors," said Peter Alexander, vice president, Commercial Marketing, Cisco Systems, Inc. "This is not about deploying technology for technology sake, but rather about solving very real business and operational challenges and ultimately improving the patient care experience."
Other significant findings include:
Recognizing barriers to deployment: Lack of perceived need and capital investment too high were the reasons most often cited as barriers to deployment of technology; complexity of technology was selected least often.
Preventing virus and worm threats: Network security technologies were the only solutions group that was identified as having the ability to enable organizations to reduce their threat of intrusion and virus risk.
Realizing benefits for improved care: Reducing medical errors, improving the patient experience and the performance of clinical applications are benefits that have the best possibility of being realized with the implementation of mobile device technology or wireless LAN networks.
Identifying organizational challenges: Authentification/single-sign is perceived by 44 percent of respondents as the biggest networking challenge for their organization.
Survey methodology: Survey results are based on responses gathered at the 2004 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition held in Orlando, Fla. in February 2004. HIMSS members who did not attend the conference were issued an e-mail invitation to participate in the survey. In total, 401 individuals completed the survey, but results are based on those 241 individuals that worked for provider organizations that have a local area network (LAN) and make recommendations or final decisions for their organization's networking solutions.
For complete survey results, visit: http://www.himss.org/content/files/2004NetworkingTechnologySurvey.pdf
About HIMSS:
HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is the healthcare industry's membership organization exclusively focused on providing leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology and management systems for the betterment of human health. Founded in 1961 with offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., and other locations across the country, HIMSS represents more than 14,000 individual members and some 220 member corporations that employ more than 1 million people. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare public policy and industry practices through its advocacy, educational and professional development initiatives to promote information and management systems' contributions to ensuring quality patient care. Visit www.himss.org for more information.