Hospital use of information technology increasing

AORN Journal, Dec, 2005

Although nine out of hospitals are using or considering adopting health information technology (IT) in the clinical setting, most hospitals cite cost as a considerable barrier to broader implementation, according to an Oct 6, 2005, news release from the American Hospital Association. Results from a study of more than 900 hospitals show that IT use falls along a broad spectrum, from hospitals that are just getting started to hospitals using sophisticated IT systems. Most hospitals are in the beginning stages, but many are making investments in IT to increase safety and quality of patient care, implementing technologies such as bar coding devices, computerized physician order entry, and electronic health records.

Factors such as hospital size, location, and financial status are related to the Level of use; small and rural hospitals say that cost is a barrier to greater use of IT. Hospitals with the greatest use of IT had higher average margins, and those with positive margins use more IT. Median amounts spent on IT among the hospitals surveyed include more than $700,000 in capital spending, or 15% of capital expenses, and $1.7 million in operating costs, or 2% of operating expenses. Hospitals that reported the Least use of IT plan on spending a greater share of capital on IT in the near future.

Hospitals Are Embracing Information Technology: New Report (news release, Washington, DC: American Hospital Association, Oct 6, 2005) http://www.aha.org (accessed 7 Oct 2005).