One in three healthcare practices expects to increase IT spending by more than 5 percent over the next year, according to CompTIA. Purchases will range from core IT products to mobile devices and consumer electronics.
CompTIA's "Second Annual Healthcare IT Insights and Opportunities" study also reveals that healthcare providers are generally satisfied with the IT solutions they use, but they're also interested in better reliability, improved performance and lower costs for future purchases.
About one-half of healthcare practices will increase their IT expenditures in the next 12 months, according to the study, with the rest either holding budgets flat or reducing their IT spending. Group practices are most likely to increase spending, while solo practices are more likely to keep IT spending levels flat.
Healthcare providers rely on core IT products to care for patients and manage their practices, with desktop and laptop PCs, printers, phone systems and networking equipment the norm at many practices. According to the study, over the next 12 months, healthcare providers will replace or refresh outdated equipment and make investments in new equipment to add additional capabilities.
"Healthcare providers have clear objectives for their IT investments – reducing costs, saving time, improving productivity and, most importantly, improving patient care," said Tim Herbert, vice president of research for CompTIA. "Anything that may disrupt patient care is a serious issue, so product reliability is especially critical."
The desire for mobility and ease of use is driving many IT investment decisions. Roughly one in four doctors and dentists say they plan to purchase a tablet PC over the next 12 months, putting this product near the top of their shopping lists.
Another trend reflects the intersection of traditional IT and consumer electronics. Significant numbers of healthcare providers plan to purchase flat panel TVs over the next 12 months, presumably to provide a better waiting room experience for patients.
"While most of these technologies can work independently, maximizing their value often entails an integrated approach," Herbert said. "IT firms providing creative, holistic solutions covering both core IT and consumer electronics may be best positioned to capitalize on purchase trends."
CompTIA's study is composed of two separate Web-based surveys to 370 U.S. IT firms, about 40 percent of which do business in the healthcare sector, and 300 U.S. healthcare providers, including doctors, dentists, nurses, physician assistants and office managers. CompTIA members can access the report here.