Survey: Hospital CIOs to increase IT spending in 2011

Hospital CIOs in the U.S. say they're planning to increase IT spending in 2011-- and they're not alone. Healthcare CIOs in the United Kingdom and Canada are also upping their IT investments this year, according to a new survey. Of the 152 hospital CIOs surveyed across North America, Europe, and Australia about their IT budgets and priorities over the next 24 month, 42% said they are increasing IT spending in 2011, according to a new report from U.K-based research firm Ovum. Almost a quarter, 22%, of the CIOs said they plan significant increases to IT spending in 2011, compared to only 14% who planned big increases last year. Last year, 22% of healthcare CIOs said they'd slash their IT budgets, but that figure dropped to 17% for 2011.