IntroductionThis study examines top business challenges, IT budget outlook, and spending priorities among healthcare providers in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
It is based on the results of Datamonitor's Business Trends primary research, conducted in Q1 2006 with a total of 100 healthcare provider organizations.Scope100 healthcare provider interviewsGeographic coverage includes the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy and SpainProvides an overview of the current healthcare provider market, including demographic data from Datamonitor's Business Trends primary researchIntroduces technology adoption trends of healthcare provider organizationsHighlightsTop of mind priorities for healthcare providers are to improve quality of care, increase cash flow, and address regulatory compliance challenges.Most important IT spending priorities for 2006 are electronic health record (EHR) investments, an indication that providers consider these technologies key to enhancing patient satisfaction and improving quality of care.Although a significant portion of healthcare providers interviewed noted that their IT budgets will remain flat from 2005 to 2006, 38% of surveyed providers expect increases for 2006.Reasons to PurchaseEffectively map IT solutions to address healthcare business pain pointsGain firsthand insight on spending priorities and budget outlooksTarget healthcare customers more effectively