Vendor CEO: Final Report

The 14th Annual HIMSS Leadership Survey, sponsored by Superior Consultant Company, suggests that interest in clinical information systems and data security is strong. Interest in HIPAA is still strong, although it is projected to decline as the industry reaches and moves past the 2003 deadlines for implementation.

• HIPAA: Respondents were most likely to identify HIPAA as the business issue that would have the most impact on the healthcare industry in the next two years (68%). However, implementing privacy modifications to systems and making security upgrades emerged as the third and fourth priorities that vendors identified would be important for their clients. These issues are projected to be of less importance in the next two years, falling 15 and nine percentage-points, respectively, from current levels.
  
  
• Clinical applications: The three healthcare applications reported by vendors to be of importance to their healthcare clients in the next two years are all clinical. Enterprise-wide clinical information sharing was identified by the most respondents (52%), followed by computer-based patient records (51%) and clinical information systems (49%).
  
  
• Data security: When asked to identify the technologies they considered most important to their healthcare clients now, nearly half of the respondents (49%) indicated data security; 51% said it will be of importance in the next two years. Firewalls were the most frequently identified security tools used to maintain data integrity at healthcare organizations, both now and in the future. Vendors were more likely to note the importance of security tools for healthcare organizations; there was an average increase of 18% in importance this year compared with last year.
  
  
• IT outsourcing: Almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) predicted their outsourcing revenues would increase in the next 12 months. Fewer than one percent projected a decrease in outsourcing revenue.

Other notable findings include:

• The need to prove quantifiable benefits or returns on investment is reported to be the top barrier to implementing IT at client facilities, vendors reported.
  
  
• Process and workflow design was most frequently identified by vendors as the area in which healthcare organizations have staffing needs. Other staffing needs noted by vendors include system integration, and network and architecture support.