'Healthy tension' between providers, IT vendor/consulting organizations

In this year’s 2017 HIMSS Leadership and Workforce Survey, researchers took a look at the perspectives of U.S. health IT leaders with topics such as security, cybersecurity and culture of care.

HIMSS research efforts received feedback from 368 U.S. health IT leaders in regards to their priorities and linkage to various health IT strategic initiatives and industry economic measures.

The executive summary lists these themes as the most notable from the feedback:

• Health IT leaders concur on the top clinical IT priorities for the coming year with divergent priorities pointing to a “healthy tension” within the marketplace.
• Vendors/Consultants generally have a “good pulse” on the clinical IT priorities of Hospital-associated Providers with exciting opportunities to target interests in the non- Hospital Provider market.
• Health IT continues to be a “bright spot” in the U.S. economy, with select markers suggesting potential challenges ahead in extending health IT’s footprint beyond the hospital environment.

A few notable topics tied to the non-hospital provider community may counterbalance these positive workforce metrics. However, data suggests there will still be potential challenges as health IT grows beyond the hospital environment.