C-Suite Briefing: Top Takeaways from the 12th Annual HIT Industry Outlook Report

By MacKenzie Gonnelly

Stoltenberg Consulting recently released the latest Health IT Industry Outlook Report, highlighting HIT trends impacting 2025 hospital purchasing decisions. See four standout survey findings from hospital CIO feedback, along with insight on their predicted influence on the market in the coming year:

• Greatest Operational Burden: According to the report, "retaining and budgeting for qualified IT resources" stands as the greatest IT operational challenge for hospitals and health systems, obtaining 39% of survey answers. Health IT executives are prioritizing resource optimization in response to new administration budget cuts and associated funding changes. These funding reductions will likely exacerbate the resource shortages that have impacted the healthcare industry since before the pandemic.
• Clinically Focused Tech Support: Half of surveyed healthcare CIOs reported "clinician end-user education and knowledge transfer, including workflow optimization" as the top area they wished for stronger IT support, receiving 28% of respondent votes. Healthcare executives recognize that clinician buy-in is the driving force behind successful technology adoption. Therefore, provider empowerment and clinically focused tech support are key priorities for CIOs this year — creating more efficient processes for better informed care decision making. Ultimately, greater EHR utilization enhances operational efficiency, allowing for higher care volumes that improve both fiscal outcomes and patient satisfaction.
• Ensuring IT investments deliver promised value: "Getting the most out of existing IT purchases" hit an annual survey all-time high in IT-related financial goal prioritization — earning 62% of CIO votes. While some organizations are still transitioning EHR systems, this trend has slowed. Instead, many organizations are making the most of their long-term system investments by evolving their EHR strategy. To maximize value, healthcare organizations are not only optimizing their systems but also collaborating with EHR vendors for enhancements that better align their technology stack with advancing operational needs. This includes requesting AI, voice note taking, predicative analytics and process automation features directly into existing EHR systems.
• Emphasizing technology training: According to healthcare CIOs, "onboarding and/or lack of continuous technology training" is the greatest (35%) IT related support frustration amongst end users. For increased staff satisfaction, CIOs are prioritizing improvements in end-user training for both newly implemented systems and new hires. To account for limited training bandwidth, many hospitals and health systems are turning to go-live call command and/or at-the-elbow (ATE) support resources. Low satisfaction with end-user training also highlights the need for audits of clinician system utilization, identifying opportunities to improve workflow and minimize staff experience gaps. By bolstering training programs, CIOs aim to enhance clinical documentation and increase claims payments throughout their organization.

By utilizing these Health IT Industry Outlook Report data insights, healthcare executives can evaluate their EHR support optimization strategies and spending priorities for the year ahead.

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