Abstract
This report presents survey data about broad IT purchasing behavior in the healthcare market, as well as, data specific to WAN services and wireless data services. The healthcare vertical market includes ambulatory healthcare services, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, and social assistance.
Respondents from healthcare firms were more likely to indicate that their firm was at the cutting edge of innovation, and that they use IT as a competitive tool, compared to other respondents. Survey results also show that decision-makers in this vertical expected a satisfactory return on IT investments in a shorter time than those in other verticals.
For healthcare firms, the most important factors when purchasing WAN services were reducing operating costs and improving network security, similar to other firms. However, healthcare firms' decision to implement WAN services is more likely to be influenced by a need to support applications specific to the healthcare industry.
When selecting a wireless data service provider, healthcare firms were most likely to find service quality and geographic coverage important. As far as the primary benefits expected from implementing a wireless data solution, healthcare decision-makers indicated increased employee productivity and efficiency most often. Healthcare respondents were significantly more likely than those in other verticals to indicate standardization of processes as a benefit.
Table of Contents
In This Update
- Healthcare: Competing With IT
- IT Purchasing Behavior
- Characterization of Use of IT Technologies
- Expected Time to Satisfactory Return on IT Investments
- Applications in Use
- WAN Services
- Factors in WAN Services Purchase Decisions
- Applications Influencing WAN Services Implementation
- Centralization of WAN Services Purchasing
- Wireless Data Services
- Factors in Selection of Wireless Data Service Provider
- Benefits of Wireless Data Solution Implementation
- Conclusion
- Research Sources
- Definitions
List of Figures
- Figure 1. Organizations' Use of IT Technologies- Healthcare, 9/07
- Figure 2. Organizations' Use of IT Technologies- Healthcare, 9/07
- Figure 3. Expected Time to Satisfactory Return on IT Investments- Healthcare, 9/07
- Figure 4. Business Applications Used by Employees- Healthcare, 9/07
- Figure 5. Most Import Factors When Making WAN Services Purchase Decisions- Healthcare, 7/07
- Figure 6. Applications Influencing WAN Services Implementation- Healthcare, 7/07
- Figure 7. Centralization of WAN Services Purchasing- Healthcare, 7/07
- Figure 8. Factors in Selection of Wireless Data Service Provider- Healthcare, 6/07
- Figure 9. Primary Benefits of Wireless Data Solution Implementation- Healthcare, 6/07
