This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.
Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
Brutal Facts—$ HIT Initial & Ongoing Costs is Adoption Barrier for Hospitals
Screen shot of a bar graph displaying: Hospitals continued to report cost as greatest barrier to IT adoption
Percent of hospitals indicating barrier is a "significant barrier" or "somewhat of a barrier"
| Barrier level |
Significant barrier |
Somewhat of a barrier |
| Survey year |
2006 |
2005 |
2006 |
2005 |
| Initial costs |
54% |
59% |
40% |
36% |
| Ongoing costs |
32% |
33% |
55% |
54% |
| Interoperability with current systems |
27% |
25% |
52% |
52% |
| Acceptance by clinical staff |
23% |
24% |
59% |
58% |
| Availability of well-trained IT staff |
16% |
15% |
51% |
49% |
| Inability of technology to meet needs |
11% |
12% |
51% |
48% |
Source: American Hospital Association. (2007). Continued progress: Hospital use of information technology. Washington, DC: Author, p. 15.
Previous Slide Contents Next Slide 
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857