Healthcare providers to incorporate new technologies to improve their business and patient care

Healthcare providers realize that new technologies have to be adopted to improve their business, but the medical benefits of technology also are clearly in their sights, according to CompTIA’s Healthcare IT Market: Insights and Opportunities study.

The CompTIA study finds that 59 percent of healthcare providers are somewhat to very excited about the prospect of telemedicine and 79 percent are interested in portable tablet PCs for point-of-patient care. The survey, which was fielded during September 2009, included healthcare providers and IT firms that offer IT services to healthcare providers.

According to the study, three in four (74 percent) IT firms believe their healthcare clients are eager to incorporate new technologies into their practices and two in three (67 percent) believe that better care for patients is a major factor in their healthcare clients’ decision to adopt new technologies.

“As business owners, it comes as no surprise that healthcare providers are interested in the time savings and improved efficiencies offered by advanced IT,” said Tim Herbert, vice president of research, CompTIA. “However, among the study’s more significant findings is that both the healthcare and healthcare IT industries expect emerging technologies, such as electronic medical records, to better serve patients.”

Of the healthcare providers currently using electronic medical records (EMR) 82 percent cite better patient care as a major factor in their decision to adopt the technology. The other top factor, saving time/improving efficiency, rates almost identically at 83 percent. Fifty-seven percent of the healthcare providers using EMR say that compliance with regulations is a major factor in their adoption decision, 40 percent are motivated by cost savings and 37 percent are trying to keep pace with their competition.

CompTIA’s Healthcare IT Market: Insights and Opportunities study was conducted in two phases. Part one was conducted among a sample of 200 IT firms that do business in the healthcare market. Part two was conducted among a sample of 300 healthcare providers, including doctors, dentists, office managers and other healthcare practice staff. Both studies were fielded during September 2009. The full report will be available at no cost to CompTIA members. Go to the member area of CompTIA.org or contact [email protected] for more details.

Study: CompTIA