Clinicians are calling for a bigger role in healthcare software decisions, an Oct. 8 survey from symplr found.
The findings are from the third annual "Compass Survey" conducted by symplr, a provider of healthcare operations software. It offers a look at technology usage and decision-making within top U.S. health systems. The survey, which gathered insights from more than 280 healthcare leaders across clinical, operational and IT sectors, highlights key challenges and opportunities for the industry.
Seven key findings from the survey:
- Seventy-two percent of clinicians expressed a desire for more influence in software purchasing decisions, though IT and operational leaders remained more cautious.
- Fifty-one percent of hospitals and health systems currently use more than 50 different software solutions, a figure that is declining from 55% in 2023 and 60% in 2022.
- Most respondents (82%) agreed that streamlining workflows and software is key to improving productivity.
- Forty percent of IT leaders identified cybersecurity as the top threat, while 51% of clinicians and 43% of operational leaders cited burnout and staffing challenges as their primary concerns.
- Eighty-five percent of respondents said they waste more than an hour daily on administrative tasks that could be streamlined through better software solutions.
- Additionally, 40% of IT leaders reported their organizations use at least 150 software solutions, though nearly half said they had not audited their software in the past year.
- The survey also found that 81% of IT leaders reported unvetted "shadow IT" software purchases, posing potential risks to healthcare organizations.